Alphabet Google Spells Union: Labor Stuff, Not AdWords for Union College, Union Pizza, or Union Bank

January 25, 2021

I wonder if the information in this Silicon Valley-type write up is accurate:

Exclusive: Google Workers across the Globe Announce International Union Alliance to Hold Alphabet Accountable. (Verified on January 25, 2021, at 1020 am US Eastern)

You can find the link to the story at this location.

The subtitle is interesting too:

Alpha Global includes workers from 10 countries, including the United States and Germany

My recollection is that Germany is “into” workers’ rights, representatives on boards of directors, and labor organizing activities.

The write up asserts:

Minority unions like AWU get their power by building worker solidarity. The structure allows AWU to include Google contractors as well as full-time employees, but it also means the union isn’t currently recognized by the National Labor Relations Board, and can’t force Google management to negotiate.

If true, Alphabet Google has additional management issues to resolve with its algorithm-centric, big data, and technology-centric systems and methods.

These have worked like a Timex watch for a number of years. You recall the ad, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.”

The ad reference may be appropriate because Google search results for union displayed links to a college, a pizza joint, and a bank. Not much about unions like those in Germany, which are recognized. Unrecognized unions don’t buy ads with the frequency of the aforementioned college, pizza joint, and bank.

Worth monitoring. Perhaps try queries on The links were about organizing workers.

Stephen E Arnold, January 25, 2021

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