EBay drivers get pay raise
Bus drivers who transport eBay employees are getting a huge wage increase as part of the company’s deal with vendor Compass Transportation.
The San Jose company’s move, retroactive to Aug. 3, comes after a Chronicle investigation revealed that several drivers employed by Compass Transportation were camping out in their cars because they couldn’t afford a place to live.
Several tech companies use Compass to transport their employees, including Apple, Genentech, Yahoo, eBay, Zynga PayPal and Evernote. Apple had already raised wages for its drivers, and since the Chronicle wrote about the topic, other companies implemented wage increases for drivers that transport Genentech and now, eBay, employees.
EBay said drivers of large shuttles will now make $26.40 per hour and drivers of smaller vans will make $23.10 per hour. The drivers’ previous wage was between $17 and $20 per hour.
Compass continues to negotiate a contract with the drivers, organized by the Teamsters. The union’s proposed contract seeks better benefits, 11 paid holidays and overtime pay.
“While we support the
collective bargaining process, we also encourage Compass and (the) Teamsters to resolve negotiations on a full compensation package quickly — it’s the right thing to do for these drivers who provide a critical service to Silicon Valley companies,” eBay said in an e-mail.
“The pay raise is definitely going to help me,” said Letetia Davis, a 42-year-old Compass driver who transports eBay employees for $18 an hour. Because she can’t afford an apartment near her work, she endures a four-hour commute from Stockton to San Francisco on weekdays.