Google: thousands of workers would have quietly unionized during the pandemic

Google is known for its free cafeterias. But the people behind these meals are usually contractors working for other companies and don’t get the chance to get the perks that Google employees are entitled to. Separately, the Washington Post report says that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 4,000 people working in these cafeterias have joined unions.

According to this report, it appears that today around 90% of the total number of restaurant workers at Google are all unionized. According to the Washington Post, workers at 23 Google offices in the United States have unionized and now cafeteria workers at Google’s Atlanta office may soon join their ranks. As a reminder, contractors across the company have lobbied in recent months for increased pay and protections.

The Unfolding of the Unionization Attempt in the South

Google workers in Atlanta, who are employed by another cafeteria company called Sodexo, presented their manager with a list of demands on Wednesday and later said they planned to unionize. Then on Friday, Sodexo and the union reached an agreement saying that if a majority of workers choose to unionize, Sodexo will issue no opposition.

Jane Dollinger, spokeswoman for Sodexo, said the company has many unionized workplaces across the country. He added that they believe there is a way forward through negotiations to address the differences in wages and other benefits.

The testimony of those who have already joined a union

Richard Ramirez, a 33-year-old man who works in a Google office in Seattle, said that since they got unionized he was able to buy a house, something that wouldn’t have been possible without joining Unite Here which is the union representing workers in the Google cafeteria.

Note that the average unionized worker in a Google cafeteria earns $24 an hour, pays little or almost no health insurance and has access to a pension plan. On the other hand, Sodexo workers in Atlanta earn $15 an hour and spend a lot of money on health insurance.

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