The union representing YouTube Music’s contractors claims that Google terminated the workers’ contracts after the workers went on a lengthy strike.
The team was made up of moderators hired by Cognizant, the Austin, Texas-based Google contractor responsible for approving music content on YouTube Music, according to the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA, which represents the contractors.
In a statement emailed to The VergeGoogle spokesperson Courtenay Mencini insisted that the decision to reduce the team was not theirs, but rather Cognizant’s, stating that “contracts with suppliers across the country typically end on their natural expiration dates.” Stated.
The team of more than 40 people went on strike in February last year to demand changes to Google’s return-to-work policy. Unions say many of the workers hired to work remotely make about $19 an hour, making it too expensive to go into an office.
Google has previously argued that it does not need to negotiate with its employees because they are not Google employees. However, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in March 2023 that Google is considered a partial employer because it controls benefits, work hours, and the direction of contractors’ work. I put it down. The company appealed, and the NLRB upheld the ruling in January. Google can appeal to federal court.
“This is devastating. We are trying to get Google, one of the most powerful and resourceful companies in the world, to negotiate with us to make a living in exchange for work to improve Google’s products. “We have fought for years to ensure that this is the case,” the contractor and union member said in a statement. Jack Benedict said in a statement.
YouTube Music contractors aren’t the only companies Google is fighting to recognize as employees. As reported by CNBC, the NLRB said Google can be said to be a partial employer of contractors unionized with Accenture who worked on Google Search and his pre-rebranded Bard.
