THE LOOP (WBBM Newsradio) -- It may be a while before you can take a self-driving vehicle to work in Illinois, as union concerns keep a proposed test program stuck in park.
The proposal from Chicago state House Democrat Kam Buckner would let Waymo and other "autonomous vehicle" companies operate on a test basis in Chicago and several other metropolitan areas in Illinois for three years. There are presently no laws allowing self-driving cars to operate in the state.
"It has literally zero guardrails," SEIU Local 1's Genie Kastrup told reporters about the measure during a union event in Chicago October 20, expressing concern that it could cause rideshare drivers to lose work. SEIU was part of the push to allow Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize.
"For every one AV vehicle on the street, you replace four workers," she claimed, citing experience organizing rideshare drivers in other cities where self-driving cars are legal.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who was with SEIU to accept their endorsement for his campaign to be mayor of Chicago, expressed concerns about the impact on labor as well as road and passenger safety.
"Technology is changing the world," Giannoulias acknowledged, but said he was concerned "that there are guardrails, and that we're protecting working families."
Genie Kastrup from S-E-I-U Local One is talking about a proposal in Springfield that would clear the way for Waymo and other self-driving cars to operate in Chicago and three other parts of the state on a test basis.
"I'm just assuming he's been a little bit busy," responded Rep. Buckner (D-26th District), in an apparent dig at the Secretary of State's campaigning, "but it's actually in the bill. Those are exactly the things we've been talking about as we work through this pilot."
Rep. Buckner said he's been talking to labor advocates, rideshare drivers and others to make sure their concerns are incorporated into the final proposal. He's also reached out to the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority about how autonomous vehicles can be part of the area's public transit solution.
And while he said he'd like to see action on the bill in the fall veto session, he admitted it might need to be re-introduced during the next legislative session in January.
"We're trying to make sure we get this right," Rep. Buckner said. "We're not trying to jam autonomous vehicles through Springfield."
Sponsor says he's talking to labor, others about proposed 3-year pilot
Sponsor says he's talking to labor, others about proposed 3-year pilot
