Organizing Update

Alphabet (Google)

In solidarity with YouTube Music workers, contracted with Cognizant Technology Solutions, who have been on the first ever strike at Google since the beginning of this month, dozens of Google workers and members of the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA (AWU-CWA) held rallies against Google union-busting in Austin and New York City on Tuesday. On the same day as the rally, Representative Greg Casar of Texas's 35th Congressional District, who joined the workers’ action in Austin, and Senator Bernie Sanders sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, and Cognizant Technology Solutions CEO Ravi Kumar calling on the executives to end the retaliation against workers organizing at YouTube Music. Currently, the workers are awaiting a critical ruling from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding their union election. They will continue to organize and maintain their strike until their demands are met. A strike fund has been set up to offer additional support to the striking workers.

Dozens of Google workers and supporters, including Congressman Greg Casar and CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor, participated in rallies in Austin and New York City in solidarity with striking YouTube Music workers.

On Wednesday, AWU-CWA published a comprehensive survey of Alphabet vendor workers in a report titled, "Every Google Worker: An Examination of Alphabet's US Shadow Workforce." The report found that thousands of workers are denied the minimum standard of benefits set by Alphabet and inequities among vendors are exacerbated by race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability, resulting in thousands of dollars in wage gaps. Alphabet employs an estimated 50,000 U.S.-based vendors, who are workers employed via subcontractors to complete critical services for Alphabet.