As the US Federal Government pursues antitrust enforcement against Big Tech companies, it is critical that workers’ views, voices, and interests are considered in the decision-making processes that will impact the lives and careers of hundreds of thousands of working people in this industry. The antitrust action against Google’s Search products is the furthest along of several similar suits, and as the only wall-to-wall union at a major American tech company, the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA has stepped forward to demand workers have a say in the proceedings. 

AWU-CWA recently held a meeting with Department of Justice Antitrust Division officials in order to brief them on worker concerns and argue that worker impacts be taken into consideration for any potential remedies. Additionally, AWU-CWA emphasized the critical role workers play in preventing illegal and unethical conduct—including compliance with antitrust laws—and the need for whistleblower protections to ensure workers can speak out without fearing retaliation, both as individuals and through collective action. Google has a long history of retaliating against its workers for organizing and raising concerns about how the company conducts its business.

Whatever remedies the Government ultimately implements must include robust labor protections and independent monitoring to ensure that workers’ voices are heard and that any negative impacts of government regulatory action do not fall upon workers. Google workers were not responsible for the conditions that gave rise to these enforcement actions nor have they previously been consulted by the company or DOJ on the possible effects of said remedies.

“We are grateful that the Department of Justice agreed to meet with us and hear our concerns. We hope to remain involved in this long process as it continues to develop. We welcome Alphabet to engage with us as well and hope they recognize that their workers’ opinions and interests matter in this as in other circumstances that affect both our working conditions and the future of the company,” said Stephen McMurtry, software engineer and Alphabet Workers Union-Communications Workers of America member. 

In October, AWU-CWA announced that it had filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against Alphabet for illegally suppressing worker voices on issues of antitrust. This latest charge was filed in response to a company-wide email sent by Google President of Global Affairs Kent Walker immediately after U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling that “Google is a monopolist” in the online search marketplace, ordering workers not to discuss the antitrust trial, even internally. This is a violation of workers’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act, yet that gag order has not been rescinded. 

Nonetheless, workers represented by AWU-CWA feel it is their responsibility to ensure all workers have a right to speak on these momentous proceedings.

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