CODE-CWA Press & Updates

BREAKING: YouTube Workers On Strike #YouTubeMusicStrike

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(Mountain View, CA)— On Friday, February 3, 2023, over 40 YouTube Music workers with Cognizant, a subcontractor of Alphabet, will begin a historic ULP strike. To our knowledge this is the first time a group of Google workers are going on strike. The strike will begin with a press conference outside the Google Austin office at 12PM EST. The livestream will be active here.


 

Workers demand that Cognizant and Google management meet with workers to establish a new RTO policy that is fair, flexible, and does not threaten the safety and livelihoods of workers. Currently, workers are being forced to return to office on February 6, 2023. Workers are paid around $19 an hour and thus, cannot afford the relocation, travel or childcare costs associated with in person work. A majority of workers were hired remotely and nearly a quarter of workers are not based in Texas. The upcoming return to office date threatens the livelihoods of workers who do not live in the Austin area. Workers are members of Alphabet Workers Union-CWA and filed for NLRB recognition on October 21, 2022.


 

This is the first strike ever for AWU-CWA members. AWU-CWA will provide support for workers for the duration of the strike. A strike fund can be found here.

WHAT: Press Conference announcing YouTube Music Workers Strike with AWU-CWA

WHEN: 12:00PM EST/11:00AM CST on Friday, February 3, 2023 

WHERE: Austin Google Office, 500 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701

SPEAKERS: 

  • Sam Regan, YTM AWU-CWA member

  • Neil Gossel, YTM AWU-CWA member

  • Stacie Agnew, YTM AWU-CWA member

  • Rudie Lynn Bustamante, YTM AWU-CWA member

  • Rick Levy, President, TX AFL-CIO

  • Katie Marschner, YTM AWU-CWA member

INTERVIEW AVAILABILITY: Workers will be available for interviews directly following the press conference. 

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Alphabet Workers Union - CWA unites full-time employees, temporary employees, vendors, and contractors at Google and other Alphabet companies in the United States and Canada in collective action to ensure that our workplace is equitable and that Alphabet acts ethically. We are members of Communications Workers of America Local 1400 and currently represent over 1,300 workers across Alphabet. Learn more at alphabetworkersunion.org or follow us at @AlphabetWorkers.