Google Fiber contractors in Missouri have unionized. On Friday, they signed up with the Alphabet Workers Union, the umbrella union representing employees of Google’s parent company, and they’ll be the first AWU unit to bargain for a contract.
The 10 workers who unionized work for BDS Connected Solutions, a staffing company in Kansas City, Missouri, that lends its contracted employees to deploy Google Fiber. They voted in favor of unionizing with the AWU, which has been vocal about including both salaried employees at Google and the temporary vendor and contract workers working indirectly for the tech giant, like those unionizing today.
The unionization effort was recognized by the National Labor Relations Board, as Wired reported earlier. Nine of the 10 employees in the unit voted to unionize, after a campaign that lasted several months, during which, according to an AWU press release, they faced union-busting efforts from management — that is, BDS Connected Solutions. AWU tweeted an audio recording allegedly containing the voices of a BDS Connected representative and a legal firm BDS had hired, which both pressured workers not to unionize.
The new union unit will bargain with its members’ employer, BDS Connected Solutions, and not Google. The unit will be represented by the AWU, which is a part of the larger Communications Workers of America union organization.
“We have many contracts with both unionized and non-union suppliers, and respect their employees’ right to choose whether or not to join a union. The decision of these contractors to join the Communications Workers of America is a matter between the workers and their employer, BDS Solutions Group,” said a statement provided by a Google spokesperson.
Read more: Google Workers Explain Why They Unionized
