Our union

Charles Bacon

Site Reliability Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I would like the employees to have the opportunity to bargain collectively with the company regarding such issues as diversity and worker's rights.

Samuel Sandeen

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I wanted to see Google take more action on Climate Change, specifically I wanted Google to commit to stop working with fossil fuel companies to extract more fossil fuels and do further damage to our planet.

Charles Tam

Software Engineer

Karl Schroeder

Corporate Operations Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Unions are a key component in labor relations that have been marginalized in recent decades. This marginalization is partially responsible for the increasingly unequal distribution of wealth. Supporting the union movement by joining is a step towards correcting that distribution and creating a better society for everyone.

Brian Ellis

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

The Google I joined in 2007 believed that "don't be evil" was a value that could and should guide decision-making, to the benefit of everyone. Modern-day Alphabet has lost sight of this truth, and all our attempts to remind them have not resulted in meaningful change, so we must now use the only other tools that are available to us.

Michael Leuchtenburg

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Because we deserve to have a say about what we work on.

JP Sugarbroad

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

We are supposed to be the world's smartest people. It's past time we put that power to full use in making the world a truly better place!

Dylan Baker

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Technology doesn't have to be exploitative. But as long as the only incentive Alphabet has is consolidating power and wealth, it's going to be exploitative.

Benjamin S Wolf

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I've heard too many stories of workers fighting Alphabet's benefits administrator for coverage while out on medical or family leave. Workers shouldn't have to fight bureaucracy on their own, especially when they should be recuperating—our union can do that.

Dionna Glaze

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

Make Alphabet accountable to its workers. All else will follow.

Alexander Brown

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I trust my coworkers. I believe that we have the context and understanding about our circumstances that would allow us to make autonomous decisions for our own good, the good of the company, but moreover the good of society writ large. I think that by organizing, we can magnify our power and influence to become a strong engine for positive change. I think that in doing so we give ourselves the power to defend one another and stand together when faced with forces that would otherwise harm any individual worker. When asked "Which side are you on?" I choose my fellow workers.

Michelle Shepardson

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Tech needs to change in order to do right by its workers, its users, and the world at large. To make that change, we need to stand together!

Brian Eaton

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I want to protect my coworkers.

Austin Valeske

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

I want Alphabet to be a place that treats everyone, of all identities and every role, from cafe staff to AI researchers, with fairness, respect, and dignity.

Lucas Sanders

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

The walkout demands have not been directly acknowledged, let alone implemented. We need to make sure we have the systems in place to ensure people aren’t being taken advantage of — and if Alphabet won’t create those systems, we will!

Michelle Ahn

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

I'd love for it to stop silencing workers who raise legitimate concerns about all the corrupt parts of the company that its leadership doesn't want the world to see! Maybe then we'd start to see some real changes instead of the superficial, evasive responses we're used to.

Joshua Marxen

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Everyday employees are the only ones still holding Google accountable to our original motto, "Don't be Evil" - and they're paying for it with their careers. I'm tired of it. Aren't you?

Ryan Weingast

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

The balance of power between workers and companies is way out of whack. Google is a great place to work, and there are still serious problems. Google is also admired and emulated around the world. I support the union to support all workers who are treated unfairly. I hope that this union inspires others, and helps more people go to work without fear of retaliation, job safety, harassment, underpayment, or the hundreds of other ways workers are mistreated.

Alejandra Beatty

Technical Program Manager at Verily

Why do you think a union is necessary?

For more than 20 years I've tried to make tech a better place for diversity, and I've not even budged the needle. For even longer I've seen how tech is used to further entrench systemic racial and social injustices, instead of improving our communities like it should be. 2020 is the year I've come to realize the power is with the people, and a union finally gives us a place to make and be the change we need.

Jonah Dahlquist

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

To stand in solidarity with my more vulnerable coworkers.

Tommaso Sciortino

Software Engineer

Bion Johnson

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

Alphabet and Google are the successful companies they are because of the people who work at them. I think we as employees should have a say in the decisions in our workplace that impact us and the societies we are all a part of.

Channing

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want the union to empower Alphabet workers to protect ourselves internally and the billions of user that we impact every day from corporate interests that do not serve the greater good.

Crystal C

Product Support Manager

Why did you join the union?

I joined the union to be a part of a movement bigger than myself - something that will help advocate for all workers at Alphabet and ensure that everyone can come to work every day at an employer where they feel valued and heard.

Aleksandra Culver

Site Reliability Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Alphabet is a big, powerful company. Like any big, powerful company, it will prioritize profits over everything else unless it's forced to do otherwise. Individually, Alphabet workers have little power to change that. Collectively, we can do anything.

Shawn Tabai

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to be?

I want the union to be a tool for Characters/Googlers to make our company better. Memegen outrage is valuable, but I'd like to see a world in which that's just the start of our action to solve a problem.

Kaylin Spitz

Software Engineer

Miriam Gershenson

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Google and Alphabet workers have a long history of pushing for a bigger voice in our company. By working together as a union, we support each other and strengthen our voice.

Yuri Lin

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

We can stand together to support each other and make our workplace a just and equitable one. I hope we can help people not have to feel powerless and alone when they try to make things better, or stand up for themselves.

Greg Edelston

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I joined because Alphabet wields disproportionate power, and is not incentivized to use it in the most responsible way. I want to see Alphabet act as ethically as possible. The union offers a way to influence Alphabet's culture in the name of ethics.

Jenny Rosewood

Technical Editor

Why did you join the union?

To dismantle the two-tiered TVC system and fight for my fellow workers' rights.

Alan McAvinney

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to be?

Workers caring about each other and our impact on the world!

Rachel Farber

Program Manager

Why did you join the union?

Only an organized mass of Alphabet workers has the power to make Alphabet the place we all want it to be, for ALL workers.

Alec Story

Senior Engineer

Why did you join the union?

Every year there are more and worse scandals. Alphabet workers deserve a company with their and our users' best interests at heart, and our union is the way for us to make that happen.

Francis Carr

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

The work of many Google TVCs is critical to corporate goals, yet these co-workers are segregated into a second-class caste and denied equitable working conditions.

Matt

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

"Don't be evil" needs to be more than a half-forgotten motto.

Xavid Pretzer

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Because technology has the power to do great good and great harm, and it's our responsibility to make sure that our work has a positive impact on the world.

Seth T

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

After the Women's Walkout Executives at Google pledged to make changes, but employees weren't included in decision making, employees didn't get to determine the scope of the changes, employees didn't get to determine what information was collected, analyzed, or shared. I want employees to have a say in how the company functions and what we work on.

Connor O'Brien

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Alphabet's workers deserve a say in how our workplace is run.

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want our union to help Alphabet employees provide a culture of care for each other, where there are considerations about the humanity of each individual and we aren't just a line in a database.

Emily Chang

Analyst

Why did you join the union?

To stand in solidarity with my coworkers and demand change!

Christopher Schmidt

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

Interacting with the HR department of a trillion dollar corporation is terrifying. After all the stories we've heard, I believe no worker should have to enter that conversation alone.

Aniran Chandravongsri

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Without a union, there's nothing stopping Google from going back on the promises it's made to its workers (like staying away from contracts with Customs and Border Patrol). A union lets us fight together to keep Google honest.

Derek Snyder

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I'm upset that Google appears to be retaliating against employees who raise moral and ethical concerns. I've come to the conclusion that the only solution is increased employee involvement in the company's high-level decision-making process.

Harpo Jaeger

Site Reliability Engineer

Why did you join the union?

Because Google is a better place when those of us who write the code, cook the food, answer the pages, drive the buses and clean the floors can come together and have real ownership over our work.

Obasi Shaw

Technical Program Manager

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Ultimately, every worker should have a say in their workplace conditions. Organizing ensures a seat at the table is provided to Alphabet's most vulnerable workers.

Alan Morales

Site Reliability Engineer

Why did you join the union?

When my colleague asked me to join, I knew it was the right decision. As workers, we have the right and collective power to advocate for what we want in the workplace. Unionizing seemed like the best path forward to achieve this.

Jana Spencer

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want our union to fight for equitable pay and benefits for our temp, vendor, and contractor colleagues.

Auni A

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Google wasn't built by two people in a garage 20 years ago, it's being built every single day by the labor of hundreds and thousands of workers, pouring our passion into something we actually give a damn about. We do the work to keep the company going every day, and we deserve to have a say in how it runs.

Alberta Devor

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I joined our union to make sure Google and Alphabet follow the slogan that our executives have abandoned: “don’t be evil.”

Jeffrey Yasskin

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want us to stop Alphabet's executives from making dumb, short-term-focused, them-vs-us decisions. Working together, with a democratic way to discover what the workers want, will be better for all of us, even if we have to force the executives into it.

Sarah McGlinchey

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

While Google continues to be a good place to work, I know it has been and can be better. I stand with my co-workers so we can have a voice within the company and support each other.

Software Engineer

Natalie Weizenbaum

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

We need to hold Alphabet accountable for their ethical violations over the past few years, both to our fellow employees and to the world at large. The best way to do that is to stand together as workers and say "no more!"

Mark Mascaro

Site Reliability Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Looking outward, we have a responsibility for the impact of our work on the world, and so we need a voice in how our work is used. Looking inward, we need to protect our coworkers, from fighting for fair treatment for TVCs to standing together against retaliation.

Andrew Gainer-Dewar

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I joined the union to stand against retaliation and protect those who speak up to defend our values.

Jadrian Miles

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

Because democracy belongs in the workplace!

Eric Willisson

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

Make Alphabet better in all ways, not just what will push the bottom line.

Alexander Roederer

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

A union gives workers a check on corporate power, giving us the chance to prevent abuse of that power.

Sasha Ayvazov

Software Engineer

Isaac Clerencia

Site Reliability Engineer

What do you want the union to be?

Google's products have a huge influence in the world, and the main driving force for them is profit. This union will be a counterbalance, working to make Google accountable to its workers and to society at large.

Hakeem Angulu

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

It’s imperative that workers at Alphabet and companies like it establish democratic structures for decision making to empower our diverse workforce. This union is the first step in creating that more empowering and just workplace.

Erin Ettenger

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Because we don’t need decisions based on profits, we need decisions based on humanity!

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Google controls platforms used and contributed to by much of humanity everyday. The systems backing our lives will continue to be controlled by a tiny group of bosses in the name of profit- unless we have a union and the power to protect humanity over profits.

Austin Kidd

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to be?

A voice for the workers and an example to the industry.

Rob Whitaker

Site Reliability Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

At one of the most powerful companies in the world, the workers deserve a seat at the table when it comes to how our labor is used and valued. Whether a temp, vendor, contractor, or full-time employee, the union is a voice that can advocate on behalf of all of us.

Jeff Snyder

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

We need a union to dismantle the Full-time/Contractor caste system where many of our coworkers arbitrarily make far less and have fewer benefits.

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

No worker should suffer retaliation alone without a union. No lone wolf should howl alone without a pack.

Mike Vanne

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

All workers deserve a union.

Ojas Deshpande

Software engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Because what this company does affects millions of people around the world. And these decisions shouldn't be controlled by a handful of execs and they shouldn't be governed by monetary profits.

Sophia C

Video Account Manager

Why did you join the union?

I joined the union because I'm tired of leadership prioritizing revenue generation above all else, not having a framework for our organization to discuss the ethics of how we conduct business, and only making space for DEI efforts when it is convenient.

Anonymous Aardvark

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

As a female software engineer, when I joined the tech industry, I thought just showing up and being good at my job was doing my part to help make the industry more welcoming and equitable. Then 15 years passed. The only thing that changed was that the industry grew more powerful. I can see now how naive — and wrong — I was. The only way we’ll achieve equity is by holding companies accountable to achieving it. Alphabet executives refuse to accept responsibility for meaningfully changing the biased composition of our workforce and leadership, despite the fact that the vast majority of Alphabet employees want it to change. This discrepancy is why I joined the union.

Samuel Freilich

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I'm tired of seeing some of my brightest, most conscientious colleagues leave the company. I've seen too many people who exemplify Google's outstanding workplace culture and values leave for elsewhere, burnt out on trying to steer the organization without a sustainable platform for that work. I'm inspired by my fellow workers in this union, and I'm here for them.

Josh Langowitz

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want the union to be a force for justice at Alphabet. I want us to work to ensure all Alphabet workers are treated equitably. I want us to extend that focus to our products as well to ensure we treat our users equitably and are a net good in the world.

Jeffrey Lyman

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

I believe that democratic worker representation is essential to building an ethical and sustainable future.

Honey P. Rosenbloom

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Analyst

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Alphabet has fundamentally changed the way we as humans interact with technology, each other, and our world, but as management has continued to choose profits over equitable and sustainable products there needs to be accountability. We are here to keep the company to its old promise of "Do No Evil."

Kimberly Wilber

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to be?

I want the union to be a community of Googlers and Alphabet workers who come together to care for each other in impactful ways. "Don't be evil" is only meaningful when we as workers hold ourselves to a higher standard of stewardship.

Oliver Kisielius

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I joined the union after Google fired four organizers last November. I think forming a union is the only way we can both hold Google accountable and protect each other from retaliation.

Kacey Saff

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Alphabet is known for the motto, "don't be evil," but many individual employees, finding it their turn to hold upper management to this responsibility, have faced increasingly heavy retaliation. While the word "union" feels rather foreign to many of us in the tech industry, historical legal precedent establishes quite strong protections for those organizing under this strange word that may have better defended our friends and colleagues.

Andy Blank

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

We need a union to hold Alphabet accountable for how it treats its underrepresented workers.

Ember

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

In an ideal world, Google would be the gold standard of anti-racism, anti-sexism, and ethics in the tech industry. No more unjust firings, no more secret projects that harm others... a model for transparency and justice.

Travis Scholtens

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I want everyone who contributes to Alphabet to be proud of what we work on and share in our success.

Dana Fried

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

Skilled workers across the technology industry need guilds and unions so that they have a say in what they're asked to do; a counter-balance to shareholders and executives who are largely driven by the bottom line.

Veronica

Technical Solutions Consultant

Why did you join the union?

Joining my coworkers to push for a more ethical tech industry

Kippy Gascoigne

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Unionization is a form of purchasing employee insurance. Generally it is considered wise to buy insurance.

Joshua Redel

Program Manager

What do you want the union to be?

Our union is a collective employee voice that crosses all of the artificial barriers we've created as employees. We provide strength in numbers and unveil the power we have to reshape Alphabet into the best place to work—for all.

Ashok Chandwaney

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want the union to make Alphabet start doing right by its employees (including TVCs) and by the public.

Viet-Tam Luu

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I want to work at a company where "Don't be evil" is once again used without irony.

Eric Lewis

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Friends of mine have been fired for speaking up about how Google should change. Our union will make it safe for Googlers to speak up without fear of retaliation.

Ashley Smith

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

I want to bring back "Don't be evil".

Alexander Lochan Gorowara

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Because as long as there is such a tremendous power imbalance between an organized executive cohort and a disorganized community of workers, there are risks that we cannot rely on the goodwill of the executives to shield us from.

Andrew Sherman

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

There will be no accountability and no change in the tech industry unless we build it ourselves!

Site Reliability Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

To put the "don't" back in "don't be evil".

Ryan Lester

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

To stand together with my fellow coworkers and demand a voice for all of us in the workplace.

Gabriel Schubiner

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I hope that AWU can be a TVC-inclusive community for workers to connect and work together to make Alphabet a safer and more equitable workplace that has a positive impact on society.

Alex

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want the union to hold Alphabet accountable in dismantling its white supremacy and building an equitable company and world.

Stephen Lewis

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

I think it's important for employees to have a real seat at the table when decisions are being made that impact us.

Emily Li

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

We need a union because the only answer to worker exploitation is collective strength and solidarity.

Owen Williams

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

As individuals, we are vulnerable when we speak out against corporate injustice. Unionizing represents the best way for workers to have a voice in the direction of our company and be protected from retaliation.

Aran Ink

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

Stop being evil, start doing good

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

Google’s motto used to be "Don’t be evil." I know that by standing together with my coworkers, we can actively fight for good — for each other in the workplace and for the millions of people who use our products every day.

Tim Wilde

Site Reliability Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

I would like to see Alphabet return to the values of the Founders Letter, and be a company I'm excited to be a part of again.

Raksha Muthukumar

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I joined the union so that I can have my colleagues' backs and stand up for what's right. We'll push back against discrimination and workplace injustices by standing together and saying that no worker is less than another. We'll democratically take a stance on important social issues, like the environment and ethical AI, and help steer the company onto a more ethical path. I believe our union will make Alphabet a company that we can be proud to work at.

Paul Raccuglia

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Full-time union staff can negotiate with Alphabet without fear of retaliation or exclusion. A union can put pressure on decision making that can help guide the company towards the right decisions, and break the cycle of dysfunctional attempts by management to squash dissent.

Ameyo Attila

Staffing Associate

Why do you think a union is necessary?

As the company grows larger, it is more important to provide an avenue and lever for employees to voice substantive concerns about the company's policies and public-facing decisions without fear of retaliation.

Steve Howard

Software Engineer

What is the one thing you would change at Alphabet?

I want Alphabet to be a place where people and relationships are valued.

Julia Tuttle

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Everyone at Alphabet should be able to take pride in what the company does, and we can only get there by working together and sticking up for each other.

Justin Green

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Several incidences over the years have made me realize that the days of "don't be evil" have passed, if they were ever here to begin with. In order to continue democratizing the world's information, I think we need to first democratize our workplace.

Daniel Simmons-Marengo

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Alphabet's leaders are adding secrecy and squashing dissent. We need a union to make sure our voices are heard.

Robbie Gleichman

Software Engineer

Aaron Homer

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Google and Alphabet has created a lot of wonderful things, but has consistently failed to live up to its own standards. Working together, a union can make Alphabet into the company it has always promised to be.

Claire Jaja

Software Engineer

What do you want the union to do?

I want the union to ensure that Alphabet is acting ethically and prioritizing its workers, society, and the environment.

Nicki Anselmo

Program Manager

What do you want the union to be?

A community of care: amplifying voices and building wall-to-wall solidarity in order to create a more equitable company and a more just industry.

Erica Kovac

Software Engineer

Why do you think a union is necessary?

Over the past few years I’ve been employed at Google, I’ve seen a lively culture of internal discussion and debate about workplace policies and product decisions become stifled and limited by leadership. I believe a union is necessary to help restore a real culture of worker participation and protect those who speak out against discrimination, unethical product decisions, and other issues in the workplace.

Yefim Vedernikoff

Software Engineer

Why did you join the union?

I want to stand up against retaliation.