Illinois unions seek to kill Waymo-friendly bill in Springfield

By Sean Reed | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Leadership and rank-and-file from multiple labor unions called on lawmakers to kill legislation aimed at welcoming autonomous vehicles onto Illinois roads Tuesday, saying it could have severe impacts on the economy.

Companies behind the driverless car technology claim their systems make roads safer, and present fewer accidents compared to human drivers.

Companion bills SB 3392 and HB 4663, the Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act, would allow the operation of autonomous vehicles to expand to the rest of Cook County, along with downstate counties outside of St. Louis and Sangamon County, where the Capitol is located.

President of the Illinois AFL-CIO Tim Drea said the legislation could lead to the loss of middle-class jobs for Illinoisans, impacting state tax revenue.

“Because of this new technology, not really sure about how many jobs would be eliminated. So it’s kind of hard to multiply out for the loss of tax revenue, but it just goes to follow. I mean, it would affect everything from state taxes to local taxes to funding our schools,” Drea said.

The legislation comes as Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company owned by Alphabet, parent company to Google, began testing in Chicago last month. The city is the latest midwestern testing ground for the company, as they have also done so in St. Louis, Minneapolis and Detroit.

Keith Hill, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union local 241, representing upstate transit workers, said the legislation allowing autonomous vehicles would harm middle-class jobs and put drivers in danger.

“Putting in an autonomous vehicle in any form takes away a job. You keep eliminating jobs. Who’s going to buy your goods? We’re not going to have the money,” Hill said. “Waymo, whatever you do on the west coast, continue doing it out there. Those are your test dummies. Illinois and Cook? Off your page.”

The company and lawmakers behind the bills, including Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, both claim that Waymo’s technology presents new levels of safety for Illinois.

“This progress is a vital step toward safer streets and more accessible transportation for all our neighborhoods. By embracing autonomous innovation, we are ensuring Illinois remains the premier hub for 21st-century growth,” Buckner said.

The company announced it began initial lidar mapping of Chicago and manual driving operations Feb. 25.

Waymo claims their autonomous driving system presents new levels of road safety, reducing crashes by 92% compared to human drivers. Wording in the bill also requires any autonomous vehicle operating in the state to have the ability to intervene, either in person or remotely, if a vehicle cannot properly operate.

Union leadership said they don’t all outright oppose the technology, but they want to be looped in on the process of regulating and implementing it.

“Technology is fine, but we need guard rails to make sure the human component is still present. I mean, we are a nation of people, not a nation of machines, and so we need to make sure that people are protected,” Drea said.

The bills in both the House and Senate still need to make some major progress if the legislation is to pass before the end of the Spring legislative session.