Google workers across the world are reportedly forming a global union alliance called “Alpha Global” with the goal of holding Google and parent company Alphabet accountable.
The Verge reports that Google workers worldwide are coming together to form a global union alliance called Alpha Global. The group is comprised of 13 different unions representing workers in 10 different countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
The announcement comes shortly after Google employees in the U.S. and Canada announced the Alphabet Workers Union. The union is associated with the Communications Workers of America and has grown from 230 members to more than 700 within a week.
Alpha Global is affiliated with the UNI Global Union which is a labor union federation representing 20 million workers worldwide, including Amazon workers. Parul Koul, executive chair of the Alphabet Workers Union and a Google software engineer, said in a statement:
We know that organizing for justice at a global company like Alphabet does not stop at national boundaries.
That is why it is so important to unite with workers in other countries. In a world where inequality is tearing apart, our societies and corporations are hoarding more influence than ever, reclaiming our power through our unions has never been more important.
UNI general secretary Christy Hoffman commented:
The problems at Alphabet — and created by Alphabet — are not limited to any one country, and must be addressed on a global level.
The movement launched by tech workers at Google and beyond is inspiring. They are using their collective muscle to not only transform their conditions of employment but also to address social issues caused by increasing concentration of corporate power.
Fionnuala Ní Bhrógáin, an organizer with the Communications Workers’ Union in Ireland, said in a statement:
The power of these global tech companies is such that they’re in every part of our lives. If they’re acting in this way nearly entirely unchecked by governments then there is no hold on what they can do. That power needs to be checked, and it’s only through collective action that workers are able to do that.
Alpha Global is another sign that tech worker unionization efforts are accelerating globally. With Google and Amazon facing worker unionization, many other high tech companies may face the same problem.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com
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