YouTube Music Union Workers Laid Off While Testifying for Better Pay
• YouTube Music workers who recently unionized were abruptly laid off while testifying to Austin City Council about the need for higher pay.
• Employees had voted to unionize with the Alphabet Workers Union in spring 2023 in hopes of improving pay, benefits, and work policies.
• Google has refused to negotiate, claiming the workers are Cognizant contractors not Google employees, although the NLRB disagrees.
• Both Google and Cognizant deny firing the employees, saying it was a routine contract end, but workers dispute there was notice.
• A laid-off employee explained the $19 per hour wage was not enough in Austin's high cost of living, especially with return-to-office mandates.