The Google logo in California. – Jeff Chiu / AP / SIPA
It’s a small revolution in the world of tech giants. Employees of Google announced Monday the creation of a union , after discrepancies with their leaders who crystallized around the dismissal, in December, of a black researcher working on ethical questions related to artificial intelligence.
This decision symbolizes the activism of the employees of the Silicon Valley against their companies, whose weight in daily life has increased considerably with the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. The union, which will be one of the very first in a tech flagship, will not only deal with wage issues and working conditions but also the broader role of technology in society.
” Not to be the craftsman of Evil ”
“We hope to create a democratic process for employees so that they can exercise their power, promote social, economic and environmental justice; and end unjust disparities ”between temporary workers and full-time employees, explain two of the founders Parul Koul and Chewy Shaw. In a column published in the New York Times , they ensure that ethical questions, and in particular artificial intelligence, will be on their agenda. “The motto of the company was ‘Do not be the artisan of evil’,” they write. “We want to follow this motto.”
Silicon Valley had so far managed to avoid the creation of unions by offering generous salaries but has recently been confronted with employee activism reinvigorated by the outbreak of movements demanding more social and racial justice. At Amazon by example, employees try to draw attention to the working conditions and the safety of warehouse workers.
The initiative may not see the light of day
In addition to Google, the employees of Alphabet , which covers several entities including
YouTube and employs more than 30. people around the world can join the union. Approximately 226 employees already have announces their intention to do so, according to the founders, but there is still a long way to go to become a social partner with the right to negotiate wage agreements. The new union must indeed obtain the organization of a vote by the authorities. To achieve this, it is already necessary that 04% of eligible employees indicate that they are interested in such an initiative, which is far from guaranteed.
In addition to the cost of this procedure, companies often have recourse to large law firms to torpedo such attempts . “This puts a lot of pressure on the founders, who run the risk of being fired or of being subjected to harassment,” warns Art Wheaton, professor of social issues at Cornell University, adding that this first at Google will be observed closely because it could stain oil if successful.