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Alpha Global is an international union of Google workers looking to take Alphabet to task

Google and its parent company Alphabet has been wresting with inequality and sexual harassment within its organisations for a number of years now, prompting employees to speak out and walk out in the past, but now they appear to joining forces in a a multi-union organisation called Alpha Global aimed at tackling its myriad problems.

Announced earlier today, Alpha Global currently comprises of 13 different unions from across the globe, with Google employees from 10 different countries – the United States, Switzerland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Belgium.

As you can see from the above listed countries, the unionising remains limited to the US, UK and Europe for now, so it remains to be seen if workers unions in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia will join in coming months.

As for the objective of Alpha Global, a press release (PDF) around the announcement explains that, “We want to see a world in which Alphabet respects human and labour rights across its global operations and supply chain. This goal has never been more important than right now.”

It adds that a globally unionised workforce would be able to achieve more, citing recent examples where employees of Google have had to take it upon themselves to see tangible changes made at the company.

“Workers have forced Google to establish one of the first sets of AI principles. Workers made the company stop using forced arbitration, too often to cover up sexual harassment and other abuses. Workers are demanding that the company stop arming law enforcement with surveillance technology unethically used against Black Lives Matter activists,” the press release highlights.

Along with working to demand fundamental human rights for its union members, the Alpha Global project has also outlined some of its initial objectives:

  • “Share information, build a common strategy, and support each other’s demands as well as our collective goals.
  • Work side-by-side with other Alphabet and Google workers to build local organizations that reflect the values and interests of the employees.
  • Fight for the rights of direct Alphabet employees as well as temporary, vendor and contract workers who work on Alphabet contracts, often in the same locations and performing the same duties as the Alphabet employees.
  • Use our collective voice to call on NGOs, governments, stakeholders and investors to insist and enforce the rights of workers of Alphabet
  • Call on other trade unions to join our struggle and support our movement for Alphabet and all tech workers.”

It is unclear at this stage whether Alpha Global will be able to achieve the goals it has outlined, but its recent formation shows that there are fundamental issues plaguing the tech industry, many of which are left as is.

As such it will be interesting to see how Alphabet reacts, as well as what other employees at big tech firms do in the coming months and year.

“Alphabet has long lost its commitment of ‘Don’t be evil,’ but we haven’t. Together, we will hold Alphabet accountable. Together, we will change Alphabet,” the press release concludes.

[Image – Photo by Arthur Osipyan on Unsplash]

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