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Teamster Shuttle Drivers for High-Tech Companies Overwhelmingly Ratify Contract
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Members of Teamsters Local 853 who are shuttle bus drivers for high-tech companies have ratified a strong agreement including wage increases and a secure retirement.
The 600 drivers work for WeDriveU and Loop/Hallcon, contractors to high-tech companies including Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Twitter, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Electronic Arts, Lam and Facebook.
The agreement includes wage increases of 5 percent the first year, 4 percent in the second and third years, and 5 percent in the final year or the option to open the agreement early for additional improvements. The drivers also received $1,800 in retroactive pay.
The drivers now have guaranteed hours across the board, vacation pay based on hours worked and training premiums.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the committee and the team who turned over every stone to make this one of the most lucrative contracts I’ve ever seen,” said Stacy Murphy, Teamsters Local 853 Vice President.
The union had been in negotiations with the contractors since March 2018. The workers voted down previous offers from the companies and led a protest last month in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) passed a labor harmony requirement in 2015 for its permits with high-tech transportation contractors. Under the provision, a failure to operate responsibly could lead to the revocation of the commuter shuttle company’s permit, including if a labor dispute affects MTA operations.
Supervisor Ahsha Safai recently organized a hearing at the Board of Supervisors to examine whether the companies were in compliance with the labor harmony provision. The SFMTA asked each company to resubmit their service disruption plans based on a determination that they were inadequate.
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, www.siliconvalleyrising.org
Teamsters Joint Council 7 represents 100,000 working men and women in 22 local unions in Northern California, the Central Valley and Northern Nevada.
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 “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.