Google Fiber Subcontractors Celebrate Blowout NLRB Election Win

Workers become first unionized Google Fiber workers and the first recognized bargaining unit of AWU-CWA since union’s 2021 launch

(Kansas City, Mo.)—Today, the National Labor Relations Board announced that in a 9-1 vote the Google Fiber subcontract workers with BDS Connected Solutions in Kansas City, Mo., overwhelmingly won their election for a union, after a many-month campaign that dealt with a continuous union-busting effort from management. A hundred percent of the unit voted in the election.

The unit is represented by AWU-CWA local 1400, part of Communications Workers of America (CWA), and affiliated with CODE-CWA.

These are the first Google Fiber workers to successfully unionize and the first recognized bargaining unit of AWU-CWA. Meaning that the unit will be the first group of AWU-CWA workers with bargaining rights in the country. Workers include retail associates at multiple Google Fiber retail locations in Kansas City, Mo.

“Today we are elated to see the NLRB reaffirm what we have already known—that we enjoy overwhelming support for our union as the workers of BDS Connected Solutions, a Google Fiber Subcontractor. Our campaign faced many efforts to discourage us from exercising our right to a collective voice on the job. Yet it was always clear to all of us that together we can positively shape our working conditions to ensure we all have access to the quality pay, benefits, and protections we have earned. We all enjoy our work with Google Fiber and look forward to sitting at the negotiating table with BDS Connected Solution to set a new standard for our workplace to improve both worker, customer and company experience,” said Eris Derickson, Retail Associate at BDS Connected Solutions and Google Fiber.

Workers filed a petition for a union election with the NLRB on January 4, 2022, on the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU-CWA Local 1400). Workers were already dues-paying members of AWU-CWA and were calling on the NLRB to grant them the bargaining rights that they have earned by successfully organizing their workplace in Kansas City, Mo. These bargaining rights will provide an important leverage point for these workers as Alphabet temporary, vendor, and contract workers that are explicitly denied the same rights, benefits, and protections on the jobs afforded to full-time employees at the corporation.

“Since our founding, we have been committed to tackling Alphabet’s segregative, two-tiered employment system. Alphabet wants to maintain its reputation for treating its workers well but doesn't want to pay for it. Instead, the trillion dollar corporation relies on temporary, contract, and vendor workers to provide essential work for the company without the same pay, benefits, or rights as full time employees. We are proud to stand with our fellow Alphabet workers as they head to the negotiating table to secure the pay, benefits, and rights they have earned. Last year we fought for our union, this year we are fighting for and winning our seat at the negotiating table,” said Andrew Gainer-Dewar, Software Engineer, in Google's Cambridge, Mass., location and member of AWU-CWA.

“It has been incredible to watch AWU-CWA continue to strengthen their ranks by strengthening the organizing partnership between both full-time and temporary, vendor, and contract workers at Google. We are honored to welcome these workers into our union as they continue to transform the landscape for temporary, vendor, contractor, and full-time workers at Google,” said Don Trementozzi, President of CWA local 1400.

Workers are looking forward to moving to the bargaining table with BDS Connected Solutions to negotiate a contract to ensure workers receive their fair share.

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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. Learn more at alphabetworkersunion.org or follow us at @AlphabetWorkers.