Apple’s shuttle bus drivers continue to be paid despite not working during the coronavirus pandemic as the company’s employees switch to telecommuting.
That’s great news that the drivers’ paychecks keep coming. However, a representative of the Teamsters union says Apple didn’t exactly jump at the opportunity to keep the money flowing.
“The company we’ve had the most trouble with is Apple,” Stacy Murphy, business representative for the Teamsters 853 division, told Business Insider (paywall).
According to a report published Wednesday, Apple contracts its drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area through transportation company Hallcon. But while Apple did agree to pay, it was considerably slower than other companies in hammering out the details. This meant that some drivers had to file for unemployment, fearing that Apple wouldn’t come through.
Murphy previously had harsh words for Apple, accusing Cupertino of being “coldhearted.”
Still, all’s well that end’s well. Apple says it will cover all hourly staff contract workers. That includes not just bus drivers, but janitors, landscapers and more.
“We’re working with all of our suppliers to ensure hourly workers such as janitorial staff are being paid during this difficult time,” Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet previously told the The Wall Street Journal.
Other tech companies including Facebook, Electronic Arts, LinkedIn, Twitter and Salesforce have committed to paying their shuttle bus drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
