Facebook Shuttle-Bus Drivers Demand Higher Wages; May Unionize Depending On Vote
MENLO PARK (KCBS)— Facebook shuttle-bus drivers will vote Wednesday on whether or not to unionize and have demanded higher wages among other things.
A loud protest was held Tuesday outside the tech-company's Menlo Park headquarters by the shuttle drivers and their supporters. They've complained that while they drive around some of the highest-paid workers in Silicon Valley, they aren't getting paid enough for the split shifts they work.
Supporters stood with drivers and said they wanted to ensure they get "dignity, respect, a raise on the job and tangible changes on the quality of their life." They also argued that many Facebook employees enjoy extraordinary wages and are able to live and enjoy life in the "fanciest neighborhoods" in the Bay Area, but that the vast majority of drivers can't afford to support their families, send their children to school, or afford to even dream of buying a house anywhere near the places they work.
"Some of these drivers are here 16 hours to get eight hours pay," Rome Aloise, head of the Northern California Teamsters Union.
Facebook had no comment, but its shuttle-bus contractors said many drivers are paid $18 to $20 an hour.