Teamsters Call for Suspension of Waymo Taxis After Child Incident
On Monday, the Teamsters union requested that California suspend Waymo’s self-driving taxi services indefinitely. This comes after one of Waymo’s vehicles hit a 5-year-old child near an elementary school in Santa Monica.
The largest labor union in the state expressed frustration with the situation, urging officials to revoke Waymo’s operating license following the crash on January 23, which left the child with minor injuries.
The statement was issued by Teamsters California co-chairs Peter Finn and Victor Mineros, soon after the National Transportation Safety Board announced it would investigate the incident.
“This incident highlights a larger concern regarding Big Tech’s ambitions to replace skilled workers with AI,” Finn and Mineros noted. “They seem intent on jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions, pushing them into poverty, and making communities reckon with the shortcomings of automation.” The union leaders emphasized that autonomous taxis threaten jobs and now, evidently, the safety of children.
The California Public Utilities Commission is being urged to take action, with union leaders warning that “the next incident could be even worse.”
Waymo did not respond specifically to this request but referred back to their initial remarks regarding the incident. They described the child as a “pedestrian,” and reiterated their commitment to road safety. According to the company, the child “abruptly entered the roadway” from behind an SUV, prompting the self-driving car to brake and slow down before contact was made.
This isn’t the first time Waymo has faced scrutiny. Reports from January highlight several incidents involving the company across California, including a close call with a family in Los Angeles. The California DMV has noted over 900 crashes involving self-driving vehicles since their rollout in 2024, with Waymo vehicles accounting for the majority.
In December, Waymo had already recalled over 3,000 cars due to software issues that allowed them to bypass stopped school buses—an alarming safety concern for children.
