Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A group of Google workers have announced plans to unionize

theverge.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 1001 posts

Re: A group of Google workers have announced plans to unionize

#3

Post by ceejayoz »

sneak wrote: post #2

I don't disagree with this effort, but I'm a little surprised it wasn't one of the slightly more abusive/hardline of the FAANGM (that is, specifically Apple or Amazon, or perhaps Microsoft) staff first.

Part of that abusiveness likely extends to union busting efforts.

Re: A group of Google workers have announced plans to unionize

#4

Post by docdeek »

> If the union effort at Google is successful, members say they will commit one percent of their annual compensation to the union.

Is that a standard rate for union dues? I’ve never joined a union myself in the past and have no reference point for a 1% figure.

Re: A group of Google workers have announced plans to unionize

#5

Post by psaintlaurent »

I have an ugly truth for Google employees, unions don't mean anything, in NYC if you are in a union or married to a union employee you will eventually become a victim of targeted harassment campaigns by people with connections to government when they want you out of your job or spending money. Almost all unions or stable jobs have people who believe they "control" the jobs.

They will attempt to destroy you and your family any way possible.

I've personally been the victim of targeted harassment campaigns. I was punched in the face in broad daylight on the way to work. Someone vandalized my home, stole every valuable item I own and threatened my daughters life. My car was damaged and the mechanics wouldn't fix it properly because they were afraid of retaliation. My wife's car was repeatedly vandalized to get her spending money on a mechanic and then eventually force her to buy another car. Someone even hit me with an electronic weapon while I was sleeping and burned me, I still don't know how the fuck someone got hold of an electronic weapon.

The entire point of these harassment campaigns is to force you to spend money on luxury garbage, mechanics, car dealers, house cleaning services. etc.

If you contact the authorities for help, no one is going to help you out of fear of retaliation. They give you lip service even if you have video evidence (I have actual audio, video and image evidence all of this happened)

I had an actual conversation with someone last night who drove past my house asking why the police were at my home:

Me: "Someone left a threatening letter on my door." Person: "If you just purchase enough from us we can call up our friends and get you help otherwise there is always cancer."

Re: A group of Google workers have announced plans to unionize

#6

Post by avolcano »

Wapo has more details about the structure of the union, which is apparently nontraditional and won't go through NLRB ratification: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/04/google-...

However, while that article says they will not be able to be a collective bargaining unit under US law with that structure, the announcement oped in the NY Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/opinion/google-union.html) implies they will be pursuing becoming one, so not sure if that nontraditional structure is temporary or if the Post got some details wrong.

Re: A group of Google workers have announced plans to unionize

#9

Post by captainmuon »

docdeek wrote: post #4

> If the union effort at Google is successful, members say they will commit one percent of their annual compensation to the union. Is that a standard rate for union dues? I’ve never joined a union myself in the past and have no reference point for a 1% figure.

Don't know about the US, but 1% is the standard in Germany. (Unions here work a bit different, they are not per-company but nationwide and you get a couple of benefits like legal insurance etc.)
Post reply on HN