What comes to mind when you think of a Google office? I think of their playful workspaces designed to create a productive atmosphere. Despite their large investment in studying work another barrier prevents a positive employee relationship: benefits for contract workers. Eighty contract employees working for Google Shopping in Pittsburgh voted in favour of forming a union with United Steelworkers with the goal of seeking workplace benefits similar to direct employees. Historically, the tech industry has relied on contract workers to keep costs low by excluding them from benefits and retreats. Google has over 100,000 contract employees, significantly outnumbering their direct employees. The unionization vote, 49 to 24, shows how important benefits are to the contract workers. Assuming this union has already been implemented, the contract employee’s next step to reach their goal of equal benefits should be addressed by creating a labour council.
There are several stakeholders involved in this unionization. The contract workers have been most directly impacted by the union in their ability to seek better benefits. Google is concerned for cost reasons but a spokeswoman for the company suggested that the union will not affect the office’s inclusivity and open culture for contract workers. Direct employees from Google have shown support for the union, agreeing that the contract workers contributions should be matched with fair benefits.
Why would Google show their support? They are not involved in the negotiations.
The contract workers are employed by HCL, who will be directly working with the union to create basic standards instead of Google. (2) HCL has been resistant to the union, shown when they hired a consultant to convince the contract workers that they wouldn’t have any control in a union. The union argued that they “had never had a voice” in their old system anyway. The United Steelworkers union, with over 855,000 members worldwide, now gives the Google contract workers a voice by having each individual member electing their local, regional and global leaders who will represent their interests. (3) Their affiliated parent unions are AFL-CIO and Unite.
The use of a labour council would meet the workers priorities of equal benefits. The overarching goal for the union is to create better employment relations in the tech industry, where inclusion and benefits would occur for contract workers. The parent unions would assist with workplace issues by supporting the Steelworker’s activities and by providing bargaining advice. In the labour council, elected delegates would represent their local unions on the council where decisions are made on workers interests and labour movement policies. Since the Google contract workers are most concerned with the inclusivity and benefits in their offices, they would focus the council on representation and internal capacity. Representation would involve contract negotiations, grievance and arbitration, and union-management relations. Internal capacity would focus on leadership development for members. A labour council would give the Google contract workers a platform to reach their goals and contribute to the larger improvement of employment relations in the tech industry.
The contract workers union formation represents a positive shift in employment relations for the tech industry. Company cost structures will have to be re-evaluated as the unionization of contract workers begins to expand. The relatively new emergence of this industry requires an analysis of the employment relations occurring for jobs that may not have existed ten years ago. A labour council will help unionized groups reach their goals by advocating for their rights. Support from the companies in this industry will be necessary to pursue the fair treatment of employees throughout the workforce.
(2) https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/8xwmnv/google-contractors-officially-vote-to-unionize
Margaret Wilkins Blog 