New York, (EFE).- A group of workers from Youtube Music have gone on strike this Friday in protest of the new measure that forces them to work in person at the Austin (Texas) offices and, according to the Alphabet Workers union (AWU-CWA), this will be the “first known strike in Google”.
The union said in a tweet that the workers, who are legally Cognizant employees subcontracted for their work at YouTube Music, are going on strike this Friday after Cognizant and Google management announced they would force the workers back. in person on February 6.
During the strike, YouTube Music worker Sam Reagan described this protest as a “historic moment in (American) labor history.”
“Many of us live out of state (Texas), many more live outside of Austin as subcontracted employees of Google. Most of us are so poorly paid that we can’t afford gas, childcare, and the skyrocketing rents we’re required to pay in order to work in person” should we have to go to Austin, Reagan added. at a press conference that took place as part of the protest in front of the Google headquarters.
YouTube Music’s entire 43-person team of contractors voted in favor of the strike, according to Axios.
The workers told Axios that their minimum wage starts at $19 an hour.
Employees and contractors of Google (a company part of Alphabet) formed the AWU-CWA in 2021, but it is a minority union, as it does not have the full powers of a traditional majority-approved union.
Meanwhile, this union cannot bargain collectively on behalf of workers or officially represent employees.
