On March 2, dozens of California Gig Workers Union drivers took over the San Francisco City Hall steps and flooded the Board of Supervisors chambers for a hearing on the city-wide Waymo meltdown in December of 2025. 

A power outage on Dec. 20, 2025, caused more than 1,500 Waymo vehicles to stall and experience other glitches, causing chaos in the streets. 

Before the hearing, drivers spoke out in a press conference, warning that this incident was just a preview of what could happen if we allow autonomous vehicles to take over our streets unchecked. 

“The ‘high-tech’ Waymos turned into expensive paperweights… While algorithms were glitching, gig drivers were out there navigating dark intersections, getting people home safely, and doing the human work that a sensor cannot understand. We are the ones who provide the safety, the flexibility, and the judgment that keep this city running during a crisis,” said CGWU driver Gurpreet Pannu. 

Drivers demanded that the Board of Supervisors and other elected officials take robotaxis off the streets until there are real safety standards, transparency with the public, and protections for the thousands of workers whose livelihoods are threatened by AVs. 

Inside the packed chambers, San Francisco emergency services officials described the issues the December shutdown caused – including an inability to get in contact with Waymo and first responders diverted from their essential duties to clear Waymos off the streets. 

One official described first responders as having to be “roadside assistance” for Waymos.

San Francisco supervisors grilled Waymo officials about the incident and demanded answers. Waymo revealed that there are only about 70 human remote operators overseeing their entire fleet of vehicles, who were overwhelmed during the blackout. 

Driver after driver spoke to the board about not just the shutdown, but the current and potential threat that Waymo and other robotaxis pose to the safety and livelihoods of everyday Californians. 

California Gig Workers Union drivers are continuing to fight against the greed of Big Tech and Big AI companies, who are using our publicly funded streets and, apparently, our publicly funded first responders to test their technology – technology that threatens the livelihoods and safety of hundreds of thousands of drivers. 

Join our fight! Sign your California Gig Workers Union card today!