A group of Alphabet Inc’s Google employees has lodged a complaint with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), asserting that the tech giant unlawfully terminated approximately 50 workers for protesting its cloud contract with the Israeli government.
The complaint alleges that Google’s actions violated U.S. labor laws by interfering with the employees’ rights to advocate for improved working conditions, marking a contentious development in the ongoing dispute.
Google confirmed the termination of 28 employees who disrupted office operations while protesting Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract with Amazon.com to provide cloud services to Israel.
An additional 20 workers were fired for similar protests conducted within office premises.
Responding to the allegations, Google denounced the workers’ behavior as “completely unacceptable,” citing concerns over employee safety and well-being.
Former Google employee Zelda Montes, who was arrested during a protest against Project Nimbus, accused the company of using terminations to stifle organizing efforts and discourage dissent among its workforce.
The aggrieved workers seek reinstatement with back pay and a commitment from Google to uphold their rights to organize, highlighting a growing tension between tech companies and their employees over ethical and political issues.
