According to a recently about 80 tech contractors working for Google in Pittsburgh will join the United Steelworkers union after a majority voted for unionization, in the latest effort by the tech industry’s massive shadow workforce to secure improved wages and benefits.
The contractors said at the time that, despite working alongside full Google employees, they’d received only a few of the same benefits. The workers planned to vote for unionization with the United Steelworkers union, or USW. In an announcement released today, the USW said a majority of the contractors had voted to unionize.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement: “We work with lots of partners, many of which have unionized workforces, and many of which don’t. As with all our partners, whether HCL’s employees unionize or not is between them and their employer. We’ll continue to partner with HCL.”
The unionization process is now set to move into the bargaining stage, as HCL workers negotiate with the company for a contract.
HCL worker Joshua Borden said in a statement: “We deserve more respect, dignity and democracy in our relationship with our employer. We fought for a seat at the table, and today we won. We look forward to bargaining a contract that reflects our important contributions to HCL’s continuing success.”
