(SAN FRANCISCO) –– The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously in favor of a resolution that calls on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)  to not grant a new permit to Bauer’s Intelligent Transportation after the company failed to abide by the SFMTA’s recently-passed labor harmony provision. 

Under the labor harmony provision passed in November 2015, the SFMTA has the authority to revoke or suspend a private contractor’s permit if that contractor’s operations threaten to disrupt Muni services as a result of an unresolved labor dispute. 

Commuter shuttle drivers, Teamsters and community members came together to bring attention to the need for labor harmony over the past year, which led to the SFMTA passing the labor harmony provision yesterday.

“This is a protracted labor dispute that flies in the face of our San Francisco values and hard-fought labor standards,” said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who along with 10 other supervisors co-sponsored the resolution calling on the SFMTA to enforce its authority against Bauer. “Bauer drivers deserve to benefit from the same equitable playing field that their counterparts enjoy and get a fighting shot at having some representation. We, as a city, should be proud to stand with them in that struggle.”

Prior to the Board’s decision, more than 100 Teamsters and community allies joined with Peskin in downtown San Francisco to protest Bauer’s anti-worker behavior as buses picked up and dropped off passengers, leading to disruptions in regular Muni bus service. 

“We applaud the Board of Supervisors for sending a strong message that bad corporate actors will not be tolerated in the Bay Area,” said Rome Aloise, International Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 7. “We now call on the SFMTA to adhere to the Board’s request.”

Last summer, drivers for Bauer’s Intelligent Transportation held actions along with the support of Teamsters in San Francisco, urging SFMTA to pass the labor harmony resolution. Bauer’s workers faced a brutal anti-union campaign by their employer as they attempted to form their union. 

“Despite the vicious, anti-union behavior by their employer, these workers stayed united and continued their fight for justice,” said Doug Bloch, Teamsters Joint Council 7 Political Director. “This vote is a victory on the path to protecting their rights on the job.”

The Teamsters Union is part of a growing movement of labor, faith and community-based organizations and workers challenging income inequality in Silicon Valley through an innovative partnership called Silicon Valley Rising. For more information, visit http://siliconvalleyrising.org. 

For more information on tech worker organizing with the Teamsters, visit: https://teamster.org/tech-drivers-deserve-union.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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