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Eighty Google contract workers in Pittsburgh employed by HCL America voted Tuesday to unionize with the United Steel Workers (USW). They will organize under the name Pittsburgh Association of Tech Professionals (PATP).
The vote to unionize passed, with 49 voting in favor of unionization and 24 voting against unionization.
Damon Di Cicco, organizer with the United Steelworkers, said that PATP was formed with support from the Department for Professional Employees (DPE), a semi-autonomous branch of the AFL-CIO, representing more than four million professional, technical, and other highly skilled workers. The vote to unionize is historic for white collar tech workers, and could spur others in the industry to take similar action.
The idea, said Di Cicco, was to create an umbrella organization to facilitate organizing in the tech sector, and eventually to help tech locals coordinate and cooperate amongst themselves.
Di Cicco said the formation of PATP happened separately, but simultaneously, with the push to unionize by HCL workers. Now, the group has its first victory.
The vote comes despite attempts by HCL to prevent its employees from unionizing. Emails shared with Motherboard show that Jeremy Carlson, HCL America’s deputy general manager of operations sent at least a half-dozen emails to contractors in the two week period before the vote. Many of them urged employees not to unionize.
The vote to unionize passed, with 49 voting in favor of unionization and 24 voting against unionization.
Damon Di Cicco, organizer with the United Steelworkers, said that PATP was formed with support from the Department for Professional Employees (DPE), a semi-autonomous branch of the AFL-CIO, representing more than four million professional, technical, and other highly skilled workers. The vote to unionize is historic for white collar tech workers, and could spur others in the industry to take similar action.
The idea, said Di Cicco, was to create an umbrella organization to facilitate organizing in the tech sector, and eventually to help tech locals coordinate and cooperate amongst themselves.
Di Cicco said the formation of PATP happened separately, but simultaneously, with the push to unionize by HCL workers. Now, the group has its first victory.
The vote comes despite attempts by HCL to prevent its employees from unionizing. Emails shared with Motherboard show that Jeremy Carlson, HCL America’s deputy general manager of operations sent at least a half-dozen emails to contractors in the two week period before the vote. Many of them urged employees not to unionize.
Google Contractors Officially Vote to Unionize
The contractors work at a company called HCL, which strongly encouraged its employees to vote against the union.
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