Google Express workers seek union

Warehouse and shipping workers at Google Express are seeking union representation. According to USA Today: “More than 140 workers at Google Express have asked the Teamsters to represent them in negotiations for better working conditions.”

Workers complain of low wages and poor working conditions that include “damaged equipment, cracked floors and failing electrical systems that have resulted in fires.” Moreover, Google Express workers are forced to find a new job after two years due to short-term employment agreements. "The biggest thing is they tell them when [they] come to work [that] they are only going to be there two years and after two years we’re going to get rid of you," said Teamster International Vice President Rome Aloise. "They still haven’t gotten a decent explanation about why that’s something they are doing. There's bad working conditions and low wages of $13 or $14 an hour."

This is the latest effort of the labor movement to organize workers in Silicon Valley. In February, Facebook shuttle drivers approved a contract with the Teamsters that raised wages and included paid vacation time, sick leave, and healthcare benefits.

Workers at Google Express seek to unionize (USA Today, July 27, 2015)

Facebook drivers vote union, get wage raise, benefits (Speed Matters, Feb. 26, 2015)