Following a protracted walkout by the workers, a union representing YouTube Music contractors alleges that Google terminated the workers’ contract.
A team that went on strike against Google had their contract cancelled by Google.
In Austin, Texas, moderators working for Google contractor Cognizant were in charge of authorising music content for YouTube Music, according to the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA, which represents the contractors.
A Google representative, Courtenay Mencini, denied that the company made the decision to fire the staff in an email to The Verge.
In order to reform Google’s return-to-work policy, the group of more than forty employees went on strike in February of last year. Going into the office would be too costly, according to the union, as many employees engaged for remote work are paid as little as $19 per hour.
The Verge received an email from Jeff DeMarrais, the chief communications officer of Cognizant, informing them
that the team will get compensation for seven weeks and be given the chance to pursue another position inside the company.
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Google has said in the past that since the workers are not Google employees, it is not required to negotiate with them. Nevertheless, the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) decided in March 2023 that Google qualified as a partly employer since it had control over the contractors’ work schedule, perks, and direction. The NLRB maintained its decision in January of this year notwithstanding the company’s appeal. A federal judge may hear Google’s appeal.
“This is very terrible. For many years, we have been battling to convince Google, one of the biggest and most resource-rich organisations in the world, to engage in negotiations with us in order to earn a living for the work we do improving their products.
Jack Benedict, a contractor and union member, said in a statement, “It is disgusting that Google has chosen this course of action in response to its employees’ modest demands for fair treatment at work.”
Other contractors challenging Google to be recognised as employees include the YouTube Music contractors. According to CNBC, the NLRB stated that Google can be considered a joint employer with Accenture for unionised contractors who worked on Google Search and the Bard pre-rebrand.