(Mountain View, CA)—On Thursday, January 18, 2024, Google workers across 5 campuses in the US came together to protest the continuing round of layoffs at the company, which this week impacted hundreds of workers in ad sales and at Youtube. Members of Alphabet Workers Union-CWA (AWU-CWA) organized “Googlers Against Layoffs” actions to push back against the bogus talking points that Google employs to rationalize its senseless, misguided corporate decision-making, and to call Alphabet workers in Mountain View, CA; Cambridge, MA; Seattle, WA; Pittsburgh, PA and New York, NY together to demand real job security.

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“For the first time in the company’s history, we are seeing layoffs become business as usual at Google. We have lost nearly 15,000 coworkers to rolling layoffs over the past year, and the only way it will stop is if we organize against this practice. Google claims that these layoffs are intended to streamline our work—but the truth is that these layoffs cause chaos in our workplace, leaving us with increased workloads and widespread anxiety over which team will be the next to disappear overnight. Our colleagues are rightfully outraged and more frustrated than ever as we watch Google prioritize ‘efficiency” over the people responsible for the company’s continued, incredible success. Together, we have the power to make our voices heard and to protect one another from the impacts these senseless business decisions have on our lives and work. We look forward to meeting with our colleagues across Google today to strengthen our organizing efforts and fight back,” said Stephen McMurtry, Senior Software Engineer & Alphabet Workers Union-CWA Communications Chair.

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At the various offices, AWU-CWA members invited their colleagues to speak on the impacts of the most recent round of layoffs. Workers shared their growing concerns about job stability, and their increasing workloads as more of their colleagues received termination notices. Already in 2024, Google has laid off well over 1,000 full-time employees in almost daily layoffs and corporate leadership has offered scant explanation of the reasoning behind the layoffs or what to expect in the future. AWU-CWA members are calling for an end to these practices and are actively organizing to ensure this demand can no longer be ignored. Workers will also participate in a virtual event on Friday, January 19, 2024. 

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Alphabet Workers Union - CWA unites full-time employees, temporary employees, vendors, and contractors at Google and other Alphabet companies in the United States and Canada in collective action to ensure that our workplace is equitable and that Alphabet acts ethically. We are members of Communications Workers of America Local 9009 and currently represent over 1,400 workers across Alphabet. Learn more at alphabetworkersunion.org or follow us at @AlphabetWorkers.