IOWA TEAMSTERS CALL FOR PASSAGE OF SF 2218

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Feb 13, 2024, 19:07 ET

Legislation Would Protect Middle Class Jobs, Motorist Safety

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Iowa Teamsters are calling for the state legislature to pass Senate File 2218, requiring a human operator in all commercial autonomous vehicles (AVs).

"SF 2218 will put up guardrails to protect motorists and professional drivers alike," said Jesse Case, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 238. "We've seen what driverless vehicles are doing in other states — blocking first responders, colliding with cyclists, dragging people in the street. We need lawmakers to act on this bill because Iowans refuse to be test subjects for Big Tech's latest toys."

"There are tens of thousands of professional drivers in Iowa," said Danny Avelyn, Teamsters Central Region International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 554. "They pay taxes. They donate to charity. They vote. They are essential to the fabric of the state, and lawmakers need to right by them by protecting middle-class jobs and passing SF 2218."

"Iowans want safe roads and good jobs," said State Senator Zach Wahls, who authored the bill. "This is common sense legislation that would protect both, and I urge my Republican colleagues to move this legislation forward."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:
Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877
[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters