A group of Silicon Valley shuttle bus drivers serving Apple and other tech firms on Saturday voted to unanimously adopt a three-year Teamsters contract proposal that promises better pay and working conditions. Compass drivers voted to unionize under the Teamsters back in January of this year.
Today’s non-binding contract looks to garner higher wages and benefits for drivers working at Compass Transportation, a shuttle service contracted by Apple, eBay, Genentech, Yahoo and Zynga. According toThe Wall Street Journal, the next step is for Compass to submit the contract, terms of which were negotiated by Teamsters Local 853 over a period of five months, to those companies for approval.
“The pay increases are so significant to these people,” said Rome Aloise, Teamsters International vice president and Local 853 principal officer. “They’re life-changing.”
Apple has stated that it is working with multiple contractors to offer the drivers better working conditions and better pay.
The proposed Teamsters plan is said to be partially based on agreements reached between Facebook and its transportation contractor Loop Transportation, which elevated pay from an estimated $18 to $20 an hour to as much as $27.50 per hour.
