Big technical school companies want to put big , driverless trucks on the route , and California Gov. Gavin Newsom is ready to help them reach that finish . Now the Democratic backbone is taking a beating from unions who say he ’s earmark unsafe 10,000 + -pound vehicles onto the route without drivers .
Last Friday , Newsomvetoed legislationthat would have outright ostracise any self - driving truck press more than 10,000 pounds that didn‘t have a driver . The purpose statute law , A.B. 316 , would have prevent the California Department of Motor Vehicles and Highway Patrol from grant permits for any of these gravid Ab until 2029 . The two-party bill was promoted as a win by the trucker union , up until Friday ’s surprise veto from Newsom .
In his vetomessage , the California regulator indicate that A.B. 316 was “ unneeded ” as the state agencies already have enough resources to determine how secure sovereign vehicles were on public roadstead . As far as the proletariat issue , Newsom said his presidential term was working to start a process of creating a squad to review how they could extenuate possible impact on truck driver as autonomous vehicles take their jobs .
Teamster leads Lindsay Dougherty, center in black, and Sean O’Brien, right in white, were both present during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and have come out against Gov. Gavin Newsom for his support of autonomous trucks.Photo: Michael Tullberg (Getty Images)
On Tuesday , Lindsay Dougherty — who heads up the Teamster Local 399 in Los Angeles — didn’t mince parole about her antipathy towards Newsom . She told an assembled gang at the United Auto Workers picket linethat Newsom “ screwed every hand truck machine driver in the province of California allowing driverless semifinal - motortruck on the road … without a driver . ”
If you fuck with the work class , you ’re going to have problems 👟 Today , we ’re looking at you@GavinNewsom 👎 #GoodbyeGavinpic.twitter.com / osChr8MThp
— Lindsay Dougherty ( @LindsayD399)September 27 , 2023
In an email to Gizmodo , Newsom ’s part declined to comment beyond the governor ’s original veto subject matter .
APreportedthat Newsom faced intragroup pressure from his own administration not to sign the banker’s bill over concern it would push enceinte tech out of California . Still , you may count the AV industry was tickle by Newsom ’s determination . In astatement , Jeff Farrah — the executive director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association — commended Newsom and said they would continue to wreak with California ’s DMV and main road patrol to appraise driverless tech .
The can - kicking was n’t pose well with Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien whowrotelast weekend : “ Any politician who turns their back on workers to groom campaign contributions from Corporate America and Big technical school substantially square up . ”
The Teamsters have also get support from other DoL groups . At the time , California Labor Federation head Lorena Gonzalez repeat the group ’s stance that driverless trucks are “ grave ” and that AVs would put truck drivers out of a task . She furthersaid“We will not sit by as bureaucrats side with tech companies [ while ] trading our condom and occupation for increased incorporated profits . We will continue to push to make indisputable that robots do not replace human driver and that technology is not used to destroy good jobs . ”
California is becoming a hub for driverless fomite despite many local municipalities ’ protests . Last month , the California Public Utilities Commission vote to take into account ego - driving taxis from Google ’s Waymo and General Motors ’ Cruiseout at all times of the dayin San Francisco without a safety driver . City official beg the charge tohalt that self-reliant fomite enlargement , though so far the decisiveness has stay in gist . This is despite a rash of novel reports of the vehicles spectacularly failing , such as onethat got stuck in wet cement . AnotherCruise robotaxi hit a fervency truck , resulting in the company reducing its number of vehicle on the road by half .
Alphabet Inc. Gavin NewsomGENERAL MOTORSGoogleRobotaxiRoboticsWaymo
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and culture news show in your inbox daily .
News from the future , birth to your present .
You May Also Like
