Google workers to form global union alliance

Google employees from across the globe are forming a union alliance, weeks after more than 200 workers at the search engine giant and other units of parent company Alphabet Inc formed a labor union for U.S. and Canadian offices.

Alpha Global was formed in coordination with UNI Global Union, a union federation that represents about 20 million workers globally, and includes unions from countries such as the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and the UK, UNI Global Union said.

In order to make the company live it up to its stated ideals, the unions of Alpha Global are committed to:

Creating a common strategy and supporting each other’s demands as well as our collective goals.

Working side-by-side to build local organizations that reflect the values and interests of the employees.
Fighting for the rights of direct Alphabet employees as well as temporary, vendor, and contract workers
Calling on other trade unions to join our struggle and support our movement for Alphabet and all tech workers.

The alliance says that the company “has long lost its commitment to stick to their original mission:‘Don’t be evil.’ Well, we haven’t. Together, we will hold Alphabet accountable. Together, we will change Alphabet.”

Global union alliances allow workers in several countries to push for shared goals and to raise standards throughout a company’s entire operations. For example, UNI’s Amazon Global Union Alliance has spearheaded international actions around common demands. Alliances at ICTS companies like Orange and Telefonica help establish and enforce global principles—like respect for labour rights.

Alphabet was not immediately available to comment.