An anonymous Slashdot reader shared the following report from the Washington paper.
YouTube contractors addressed the Austin City Council on Thursday, urging them to force Google to negotiate with unions. Then his colleague interrupted him and told him some surprising news. All 43 of his team of contractors have been laid off…
YouTube workers at Google and Cognizant have unanimously voted to unionize under the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA in April 2023. The workers claim that Google has since refused to negotiate with them. Thursday's layoffs signify continued tensions between Google and its employees, some of whom formed a union in 2021…
The workers were given about 20 minutes to pack up their belongings and leave the premises before being considered trespassing.
Video footage of that moment is embedded at the top of the article. “I was shocked and speechless,” said the contractor who was speaking. “I didn't know what to do,” he told the Washington Post. “But I was angry, and that was the main emotion.”
The City Council meeting was streamed live online and later spread on social media. Contractors see the layoffs as retaliation for unionizing, but Google and information technology subcontractor Cognizant said it was a normal termination of the contract.
It highlights how often the painful experience of being laid off is publicized on social media, with employees sharing recordings of Zoom meetings and posting about losing their jobs. Tensions between YouTube contractors and Google are rising as massive layoffs continue to hit the tech industry, leaving workers worried and companies emboldened. Google has already cut its workforce repeatedly over the past two years.
Google is in a long-running battle with many of its contractors for the perks and higher pay that Google's full-time employees are accustomed to. The company has tens of thousands of contractors who do everything from food service to sales to code writing. He claims he is not responsible. Cognizant said it will offer employees seven weeks of paid time to explore other roles within the company or take advantage of training resources.
Last year, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Cognizant and Google are joint employers of contractors. In January, the NLRB sent cease-and-desist letters to both employers for failing to negotiate with unions. Since then, the joint employment issue, which will ultimately determine which company is responsible for negotiations, has gone to the Court of Appeals, which has not yet ruled on it.
According to the article, “Workers say they receive no sick pay, minimal benefits, and earn just $19 an hour,'' and “Workers work multiple jobs to make ends meet.'' Some people are forced to do so.” said Sam Regan, data analyst contractor for YouTube Music. washington post He was reportedly one of the last workers to leave the meeting where layoffs were announced.
“As I was leaving, I heard one of the guards call non-emergency law enforcement to report the trespasser.”