YouTube Music contractors strike over alleged unfair labor practices
A group of 40 YouTube Music workers went on strike on Friday. Employed by Alphabet contractor Cognizant, the strikers say management at both companies used unfair labor practices to hamper their union campaign.
“Right now, the vast majority of our department is ready to vote yes in a [National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)] election,” YouTube Music generalist Sam Regan said during a strike. in Austin, Texas, seen via Facebook livestream. "In an act of retaliation against our organizing efforts, our employer is forcing an end to remote work before the vote, which would significantly interfere with the fair voting conditions mandated by federal law."
YouTube Music's content operations team is expected to return to the Austin office on Monday. But according to the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU), the majority of workers were hired remotely, and nearly a quarter aren't even based in Texas.
"Workers are only paid $19 an hour and therefore cannot afford moving, travel or childcare costs associated with in-person work," the AWU said in a statement. release.
On January 23, the AWU, an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America, filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the NLRB. Under national law, it is illegal for employers to interfere with employee organizing or to retaliate against workers for participating in organizing efforts.
Two weeks ago, the company laid off 12,000 people, or 6% of its global workforce. Despite the downsizing, Alphabet announced in its quarterly earnings report on Thursday that it made a profit of $13.6 billion. As Alphabet delivered its results, around 50 employees protested the recent layoffs outside a nearby Google store.
Another group of Google employees, a group of "search evaluators" - who train, test and evaluate search algorithms - staged an action at Google headquarters on February 1. Alphabet said all members of its extended workforce in the United States should be paid $15 an hour or more, plus other benefits like health care, tax-free tuition reimbursement and educational programs. employee assistance. But research evaluators say they "earn poverty wages, with no benefits." The group delivered a petition to Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., calling on executives to include these workers in Alphabet's expanded workforce.
Google did not respond to request for comment.
A group of 40 YouTube Music workers went on strike on Friday. Employed by Alphabet contractor Cognizant, the strikers say management at both companies used unfair labor practices to hamper their union campaign.
“Right now, the vast majority of our department is ready to vote yes in a [National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)] election,” YouTube Music generalist Sam Regan said during a strike. in Austin, Texas, seen via Facebook livestream. "In an act of retaliation against our organizing efforts, our employer is forcing an end to remote work before the vote, which would significantly interfere with the fair voting conditions mandated by federal law."
YouTube Music's content operations team is expected to return to the Austin office on Monday. But according to the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU), the majority of workers were hired remotely, and nearly a quarter aren't even based in Texas.
"Workers are only paid $19 an hour and therefore cannot afford moving, travel or childcare costs associated with in-person work," the AWU said in a statement. release.
On January 23, the AWU, an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America, filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the NLRB. Under national law, it is illegal for employers to interfere with employee organizing or to retaliate against workers for participating in organizing efforts.
Two weeks ago, the company laid off 12,000 people, or 6% of its global workforce. Despite the downsizing, Alphabet announced in its quarterly earnings report on Thursday that it made a profit of $13.6 billion. As Alphabet delivered its results, around 50 employees protested the recent layoffs outside a nearby Google store.
Another group of Google employees, a group of "search evaluators" - who train, test and evaluate search algorithms - staged an action at Google headquarters on February 1. Alphabet said all members of its extended workforce in the United States should be paid $15 an hour or more, plus other benefits like health care, tax-free tuition reimbursement and educational programs. employee assistance. But research evaluators say they "earn poverty wages, with no benefits." The group delivered a petition to Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., calling on executives to include these workers in Alphabet's expanded workforce.
Google did not respond to request for comment.
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