Online petition calls for living wage for Facebook drivers

SAN FRANCISCO — Activist group CREDO Action is calling on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to support paying a living wage to shuttle bus drivers who ferry Facebook workers to and from the company's Menlo Park, Calif., campus.

"These drivers, who work long hours and commute long distances, deserve livable wages, compensation for all hours worked, and the right to organize a labor union to ensure they can bargain for a fair contract and support their families with dignity," reads the online petition petition from CREDO Action which has 3.5 million members.

Facebook spokeswoman Genevieve Grdina declined to comment.

The Teamsters are organizing Facebook shuttle bus drivers after extensive coverage from USA TODAY brought to light tough working conditions.

The top Teamsters official for Northern California sent a letter earlier this month urging Zuckerberg to "encourage" its contractor to allow the drivers to "bargain a fair contract."

This is the second time the Teamsters have tried to organize the Facebook drivers, but the first time the union has gotten a majority of Facebook shuttle drivers to sign cards asking Local 853 to represent them.

The drivers are scheduled to vote on union representation next month.

In a series of articles in USA TODAY, Facebook drivers opened up for the first time about working marathon days for relatively low pay in Silicon Valley, one of the nation's most expensive spots.

Drivers earn between $18 and $20 an hour.

Companies from Google to Apple outsource service jobs such as janitors and security guards to outside contractors to lower costs, creating an underclass of workers in Silicon Valley.

Even though they work inside companies famous for showering workers with six-figure salaries, stock options and perks, many of these workers put in long hours for low pay and few, if any, benefits.