Google workers entered the new year with a new thought – Create a union and fight for changes in the workplace. The internet giant’s employees want to cooperate with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) to tackle ongoing and frustrating issues like pay disparity, retaliation, and controversial government contracts.
The union will be known as the Alphabet Workers Union, and it will be open to all employees and contractors at Google’s parent establishment.
Referring to the new initiative, a Google Program Manager, Nicki Anseimo said that the union has done so much due to several years of courageous activities and organizing of Google workers.
They have done much “from fighting the ‘real names’ policy, to opposing Project Maven, to protesting the egregious, multimillion-dollar payouts given to executives who committed crimes of s3xual harassment.” Nicki said that when workers respond collectively to any negative issue emanating from the company, Alphabet quickly responds.
Google’s Project Maven, which was an effort to make use of AI to improve targeted drone strikes, triggered protests among Alphabet employees who saw the project as unethical. In 2018, among other things, the company ended its forced arbitration policy because 20,000 workers staged a walkout protest against former executive Andy Rubin getting a $90 million exit package after he was accused of s3xual harassment.
The union effort is now public, known throughout the world, so organizers may launch a series of campaigns to get votes from Google workers. Even before a public announcement, about 230 employees and contractors signed cards in support of the union.
It was reported that Google contractors have always been complaining about their unequal treatment when it is compared to the treatment full staff got. These contractors make up a majority of the company workforce but they lacked the benefits that salaried employees get. Time and again, the contractors have sought means of joining workers unions so that they can re-shape the status quo in their workplaces.
