A group of approximately 50 Google employees who were terminated or placed on administrative leave following internal protests against the company's contract with the Israeli government have lodged a complaint with labor regulators to regain their positions, according to a report by AP.
Fired Workers File Complaint Against Google
The complaint, submitted to the National Labor Relations Board on Monday, accuses Google of unjustly firing employees or putting them on leave after sit-ins at Google sites in New York and Sunnyvale, California.
The protests were aimed at the "Project Nimbus" contract, a $1.2 billion deal that involves supplying artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli government. The terminated employees allege that this technology is being used in the Gaza conflict, a claim that Google has denied.
Google terminated the employees for their involvement or perceived involvement in a peaceful, non-disruptive protest directly linked to their work conditions.
However, the National Labor Relations Board has not yet established a timeline for assessing the case, according to CBS News.
The worker, who is a leader in the Alphabet Workers Union, mentioned that there has been a lack of HR meetings and inquiries regarding their involvement. Since then, they have only received automated emails regarding health insurance and instructions on returning their laptop.
Google Leadership Changes
The terminated employees view Google's response to the protest as a significant change in the company's approach to employee engagement. In the past, the company engaged in discussions with employees who organized a sit-in to express their concerns about a contract with the US Department of Defense.
As a result of these discussions, the company made the decision to withdraw from the deal. The initial reaction of Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to President Donald Trump's election in 2016 was marked by their outspoken disapproval. Brin even participated in a public protest against Trump's immigration policies at the San Francisco airport in 2017.
According to a fired software engineer, the current Google leadership is indicating a shift away from open discussion and appears to be willing to disregard labor law in the process.
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