Google workers form the first union in the company's history | The State
So far, the union has 226 members.
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Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Hundreds of employees of Google and its parent company Alphabet have created a union, which will be run by the same employees and will accept among its members both full-time workers and contractors from the technology company.
“This is historical. The first union in a major tech company by and for all tech workers. We will elect representatives, make decisions democratically, pay dues, and hire trained organizers to make sure all Google workers know they can work with us if they really want their company to reflect their values, ”said Dylan Baker, a Google software engineer.
So far, 226 of the union members have signed union cards with the Communications Workers of America, one of the largest unions in the country.
Work to organize the union began in secret more than a year agosaid Andrew Gainer-Dewar, a Google software engineer who helped lead the effort.
“You have to organize one on one, meet with people, approach the subject carefully, be really thoughtful about who we say what, when, and really only communicating based on personal relationships, the people we see who are publicly upset by (company) problems, ”Gainer-Dewar said, according to CNN.
Unions can become federally certified when a majority of the people in a workplace vote to organize one in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board.
In response to organizing the union, Google promised to collaborate with its workers.
“We have always worked hard to create a supportive and rewarding workplace for our workforce.. Of course our employees have protected employment rights that we support. But, as we have always done, we will continue to interact directly with all of our employees, “said Kara Silverstein, Google’s chief operating officer of people.
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