The Alphabet Workers Union will be open to all employees and contractors and will monitor the kinds of work Google engages in
San Francisco — Employees of Google and parent company Alphabet announced the creation of a union on Monday, escalating years of confrontation between workers and management of the internet giant.
The unionising effort, a rare campaign within a major US internet company, is supported by the Communications Workers of America as part of a recent tech-focused initiative known as CODE-CWA. Googlers who join the AWU will also be members of CWA Local 1400. A successful Alphabet union could limit executives’ authority, while inspiring similar efforts across Silicon Valley, which has mostly avoided unionisation so far. The group said it plans to take on issues including compensation, employee classification and the kinds of work Google engages in.
Google has clashed with some employees in recent years over contracts with the military, the different treatment of contract workers, and a rich exit package for an executive ousted for alleged sexual harassment.