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High Tech
The cover issue of the December 2015/January 2016 Teamster Magazine featured the union’s highly successful campaign to organize and win strong contracts for workers in Silicon Valley. Since the last issue of the magazine, there are more wins to report for Teamsters in the tech industry.
Shuttle drivers for seven major Silicon Valley companies recently voted overwhelmingly to approve a first contract that provides for industry-leading wages and benefits. The nearly 200 drivers, who are members of Local 853 in San Leandro, Calif., work for Compass Transportation, contractor to Apple, eBay, PayPal, Yahoo, Evernote, Genentech and Amtrak.
Under the contract, drivers will be paid between $24 and $31.50 an hour, with affordable benefits and a defined contribution pension. They will receive 10 paid holidays, nine days of sick leave and this year they celebrated their first paid Thanksgiving holiday.
Meanwhile, shuttle drivers who transport Facebook employees to and from work recently joined Local 853 and ratified a strong agreement providing for significant wages, benefit improvements and gains mirroring or exceeding the Facebook/Loop Transportation contract already in place. These drivers with WeDriveU, Inc., will supplement the drivers who work for Facebook contractor Loop Transportation and are members of Local 853.
Local 853 was recognized by WeDriveU, and a contract was quickly completed and put into effect. Under the agreement, wages start at a minimum of $24.75, along with fully paid health care for the first year and contributions into a defined contribution pension plan. There are 11 holidays and nine sick leave days, along with split premiums of 10 percent on top of the base wage rate. Additionally, significant language protections were negotiated.
“This is another step in making extraordinary improvements to the working conditions and overall livelihoods of tech shuttle drivers,” said Rome Aloise, International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 853. “We are moving to bring drivers in the entire shuttle bus industry into the Teamsters Union so that there is a level playing field on costs and so that the richest companies in the world are assured of quality, experienced drivers for the valuable employees they service.”
For more information on tech worker organizing with the Teamsters, visit https://teamster.org/tech-drivers-deserve-union.