More Facebook shuttle drivers join Teamsters, get new contract

Mike Snider | USA TODAY

More shuttle drivers who transport Facebook workers have joined the Teamsters and gotten a new contract.

The seven drivers with WeDriveU, Inc., a corporate transportation provider based in Burlingame, Calif., shuttle Facebook employees to and from work. They will supplement the 90 or so drivers working for Loop Transportation, which has a contract with Facebook. Back in February, those drivers approved a contract negotiated between Loop and Teamsters Local 853 of San Leandro, Calif.

WeDriveU recognized the Teamsters last week and the contract went into effect Monday, the union says. That brings to more than 450 shuttle drivers in Silicon Valley who have joined the Teamsters over the last 12 months or so.

“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 in a statement. “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.”

Aloise said WeDriveU's agreement to work with the Teamsters "is an acknowledgment by the tech bus industry of the Teamsters' contracts and how we have influenced wages and benefits."



Under the agreement, wages for the WeDriveU workers start at a minimum of $24.75, and a premium of 10% when working split shifts. They get 11 holidays, nine sick leave days, as well as fully paid health care for the first year and contributions toward defined contribution pension plan.

Last month, nearly 200 shuttle drivers, who are employed by Compass Transportation of San Jose and transport employees of Apple, Yahoo, eBay and several other Silicon Valley companies, voted overwhelmingly to approve a similar contract.

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