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Labor deal for more Silicon Valley tech shuttle drivers

Mike Snider
USA TODAY
Silicon Valley shuttle drivers celebrate after a Feb. 27 vote to unionize.

Shuttle drivers for Apple, Yahoo, eBay and several other Silicon Valley companies overwhelmingly voted Sunday to accept a contract that will increase wages and benefits and give them their first paid Thanksgiving holiday.

The drivers for those companies, as well as Amtrak, Evernote, Genentech and Paypal, voted to unionize with Teamsters Local 853 in San Leandro, Calif., back in February. The drivers, who number nearly 200, are employed by Compass Transportation of San Jose.

Under the agreement, approved by 95% of the members, the drivers will receive 10 paid holidays including Thanksgiving, and nine days of sick leave.

“This is another big step in bringing middle class wages and benefits to this industry,” said Rome Aloise, International vice president and president of Teamsters Joint Council 7 in a statement.

"Under this contract, drivers will be paid between $24 and $31.50 an hour, with affordable benefits and a defined contribution pension," Aloise said. "This is an industry where less than a year ago, the drivers were making between $17 and $19 an hour with very little benefits, no paid holidays, no paid overtime or sick leave. It’s a life-changing contract.”

Compass Transportation "has long been committed to providing our employees competitive wages and benefits," said senior vice president Bryan O'Connell said in an email to USA TODAY. "We want to continue retaining and attracting quality employees that share our commitment to superior customer service.  We think this contract helps us do that."

These shuttle drivers voted to join the union earlier this year after other drivers who ferry employees to and from Facebook, voted to join the Teamsters and approved a contract reached with South San Francisco-based Loop Transportation, which supplies drivers for Facebook.

Union and company reach contract for Facebook shuttle drivers

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider 

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