Microsoft announced that it will require many of its 2,000 contractors and vendors to provide their employees who perform work for Microsoft with 15 paid days off for sick days and vacation time. This comes after months of public pressure by Silicon Valley Rising, a coalition of faith, community and labor groups, who have been working to improve the conditions of low wage workers throughout the tech economy.
Silicon Valley Rising applauds Microsoft for taking this important step towards improving the quality of jobs of thousands of workers. “This policy is not only critical for Microsoft contractors and vendors, but it signals to other tech companies that they have a significant role to play in lifting up the job standards in the subcontracted economy,” said Derecka Mehrens, Executive Director of Working Partnerships USA.
In an industry, where on the same campus you have average full-time employees earning more than $115,000 a year, along with generous benefits as well as contracted service workers who protect the campuses, cook the food or drive the shuttles — earning near poverty-level wages and often do not receive basic benefits like sick leave.
“Microsoft’s move to improve the lives of its contracted workers is a step in the right direction,” said Ben Field, Executive Officer of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council,” “however, we must not forget there is a tremendous amount of work to be done to improve the conditions of subcontracted, low wage workers who face unpredictable schedules, little to no benefits and poverty wages in our community.”
There are 1.1 million low-wage workers in the Bay Area, which includes Silicon Valley, and it is projected that only about 310,000 middle-class jobs will be created by 2020. “One way we are going to make Silicon Valley a place where all families can thrive is by ensuring these contracted jobs, are family supporting jobs,” said Chava Bustamente, of Latinos United for A New America and member of Silicon Valley Rising. “This decision is a step in that direction.”
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