Google Express Drivers Latest To Seek Union Due To Wage, Benefit Issues
In the latest Silicon Valley union news, on Friday workers at Google Express voted to approve a measure to unionize. Of 151 workers who could vote, 77 approved of the unionization plan, while 43 voted not to unionize, according to comments to USA Today from International Vice President and Local 853 principal officer Rome Aloise. The workers, who are employed by HR firm Adecco to work for Google Express, a same-day delivery service in Palo Alto, CA, were seeking representation for a variety of complaints including “lack of ventilation in warehouse facilities, low wages and poor benefit packages,” USA Today noted. Commenting on the vote, Aloise said, “This is another example of tech support workers, who work for third party contractors, demanding a bigger piece of the pie. Hopefully, now, we can put this behind us and move forward to helping these workers to gain decent wages and working conditions.”
What Happens Next
It’s unclear whether pro-labor forces will get to enjoy their latest anti-business move for long, as word last week came that Google may close its Google Express locations in San Francisco and Mountain View. Thus far several anonymous sources have said the centers would close while Google looks to revamp its Express service, but no word has been said on record.
What This Means For Small Businesses
Moves to unionize among workers in the transportation sector of Silicon Valley could be disruptive to small businesses across sectors, but especially in the transportation and technology sectors, which could face stiff competition with newly-unionized companies like Google Express or be forced to scale back operations or relocate as labor costs in the Valley soar.
Additional Reading
The Journal of Commerce also noted the Google Express workers’ vote. NFIB previously noted a vote by other Silicon Valley shuttle drivers to unionize.
Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.
