The settlement, first reported by Vice News on Monday, was confirmed in a court filing on Friday with Laurie Burgess, a labor attorney representing workers. A proceeding of the National Labor Relations Commission, which began in August 2021, and a proceeding of three workers in November on suspicion of contract breach. Workers alleged that after Google organized in opposition to working with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, when Google fired them, they violated elements of the code of conduct, including “don’t be evil” as a guide. Did. Workers alleged that they had dismissed or disciplined their employees for violating company policy. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
Jennifer Rodstrom, a Google spokesperson, said in a statement: With policies that secure the system and protect user, customer, and employee data. “
The NLRB proceedings first filed a complaint against Google by a federal agency for misapplying workplace policies such as restrictions on calendar usage for employees engaged in organizational activities in 2019. It dates back to December. He also claimed that employees were illegally monitored during organization, questioned about organizing activities, took leave to discourage others from organizing, and were dismissed. (The seventh employee, who was part of the first complaint, reached another settlement with Google in 2021.) NLRB was later involved in the organization of the Customs and Border Protection. Added 3 workers. The NLRB case was stalled when Google refused to submit a pile of internal documents that the company claimed to be subject to lawyer / client privileges or work deliverable privileges. Administrative law judge Paul Bogas ruled against Google. According to Bogas’ decision, much of the document in question was about the company’s “Project Vivian” efforts to prevent unionization and the hiring of consulting firm IRI consultants to help with the issue. At the time, Google’s Rodstrom said the company’s team “worked with dozens of external consultants and law firms to provide advice on a wide range of topics, including employer obligations and employee involvement.” In the end, he said he decided not to use the material. Or an idea. )
One of our employees, Kathryn Spiers, created a pop-up notification to let colleagues know that they have the right to organize on Google’s Community Guidelines page and its anti-union website. Spires took a leave of absence in late November 2019 and ended two weeks later.
In a written statement on Monday, Spires expressed disappointment at the failure to submit documents related to Project Vivian, saying, “To get the chance to hold Google accountable, the entire community, decentralized, and numerous. We need to take that approach. “
According to Burgess, the settlement consists of four employees, including Spires, who was dismissed by the company in late 2019, and two who were allegedly “forced to ask” and disciplined by Google. Applies to additional employees.