MENLO PARK — More than 500 cafeteria workers who serve food at Facebook have unionized to push for higher wages and more affordable health benefits, UNITE HERE Local 19, a union that represents Northern California workers, said Monday.

The move to unionize comes as thousands of contract workers such as janitors, security guards and shuttle bus drivers at other major Silicon Valley tech firms, including Apple, Intel and Google, have done the same.

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Apple gives shuttle bus drivers a raise The cafeteria workers, employed by San Jose contractor Flagship Facility Services, say they’re struggling to afford the rising costs that come with living in the Bay Area.

“Their quest for a better life in Silicon Valley is what moved them to unionize,” said Enrique Fernandez, business manager of UNITE HERE Local 19.

Fernandez said that some workers are living in garages with their families while others are commuting long hours because it’s become too expensive to live in the Bay Area.

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Union leader Junior Sakalia said in a statement that he grew up in East Palo Alto, but has to move to Tracy because he can’t afford to live there anymore.

His daughter got accepted into the Primary School — a school for pre-kindergarten to eighth-grade students that links healthcare and education, which was started by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan — but can’t go because the family is moving.

“We deserve to be able to stay,” he said in a statement.

UNITE HERE said that a survey it conducted showed that, on average, cafeteria workers employed by Flagship Facility Services who work on Facebook’s campus made $18.81 per hour. The median wage was $17.95 per hour.

The union surveyed 66 out of 562 cafeteria workers at Facebook between April and July.

The union hopes to start negotiating a contract in August, and settling on a higher wage will be part of the bargaining process.

“The million-dollar question in Silicon Valley is what is a living wage?” Fernandez said.

A Facebook spokesperson said that negotiating wages and health benefits is a matter between the workers and their employer, Flagship Facility Services.

“Our vendor workers are valued members of our community. We are committed to providing a safe, fair, work environment to everyone who helps Facebook bring the world closer together, including contractors. Our commitment does not change, regardless of union status,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

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In 2015, the tech firm implemented new standards so Facebook contractors in the United States earned a $15 minimum wage, a minimum of 15 days of paid leave and $4,000 of paid parental leave for new parents.

Calls and an e-mail to Flagship Facility Services were not immediately returned on Monday.

Fernandez said there’s still much more that has to be done to help all workers in Silicon Valley. Joining a union gives workers an opportunity to have their voices heard, he said.

“We live in such a polarized valley,” he said, “that this is a great first step.”