Google illegally cut contract staffers who worked on AI, union alleges

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Alphabet Inc. illegally ended contract employment for a majority of Google Help workers as they were trying to unionize, organizers alleged in a complaint to the US labor board. The Alphabet Workers Union accused the internet giant of violating federal labor law, which prohibits retaliation against employees for organizing.

More than 70% of the proposed bargaining unit — which includes 118 writers, graphic designers and launch coordinators who create internal and external Google content — were told in July that they will lose their jobs, according to a Thursday filing with the National Labor Relations Board. The workers, whose jobs have included improving the quality of answers in Google’s search engine and artificial intelligence chatbot, are employed through the vendor Accenture Plc. But the union contends Alphabet is also legally their boss.

It has asked the NLRB to designate the internet giant a “joint employer” of the Accenture staff, meaning a company that exercises enough control over a group of workers to be liable for their treatment and, if they choose to unionize, obligated to negotiate with them. The decision to cut people’s jobs “feels retaliatory,” said Anjail Muhammad, who was told her role as a writer with Accenture will be eliminated. “It’s obvious that this timing is incredibly suspicious, and that is why we are filing an unfair labor practice charge — to hold Google and Accenture accountable for their behavior.” Accenture, which was also named in the complaint, didn't immediately provide a comment.