Facebook Bus Drivers React to Their 15-Hour Days

Hauling highly-paid Facebook employees to the company's Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters makes for a long day: Facebook shuttle drivers typically start work around 6am; they may not get home until after 9pm. They're not driving that whole time (one driver's morning shift ends at 11:10am, and he restarts at 5:15pm), but many drivers don't feel it's worth traveling back to far-off homes in between. The result is essentially a 15-hour day at roughly $18- to $20-an-hour pay during working hours. That's prompted a push to join the Teamsters union, which has already sought support from Mark Zuckerberg, the New York Times reports.

"While your employees earn extraordinary wages and are able to live and enjoy life in some of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the Bay Area, these drivers can’t afford to support a family, send their children to school, or, least of all, afford to even dream of buying a house anywhere near where they work," the union says in a letter. "It is reminiscent of a time when noblemen were driven around in their coaches by their servants." The Teamsters hope Zuck will encourage the contractor in charge of the shuttles to negotiate with the union, and that other tech companies will follow suit. The head of Facebook's shuttle bus contractor tells the Times "we take really good care of our drivers," citing medical benefits, overtime, holiday pay, and a trailer that's been set up with TVs and recliners in one of its parking lots. (More Facebook stories.)