YouTube Fires Unionized Workers ...Plus, our SXSW Meet Up!

Issue #217 | March 5, 2024

Last Thursday, Feb. 29, a group of YouTube music workers testified to the city council in Austin, Texas. The council was considering a resolution calling on Google to bargain with the workers, who had gone on strike in 2023.

One YouTube Music worker, Jack Benedict, was in the middle of issuing a statement in gratitude for the council when he got cut off.

“To be supported by the city of Austin and also our allies in the labor community gives us the motivation to keep this fight going,” Benedict was saying. A coworker, Katie Marner, walked up to the podium to stop him. “Not to interrupt, but they just laid us all off,” Marner said in a live stream of the event. “Our jobs are ended today. Effective immediately.”

Marner’s coworker texted her that Google had apparently decided to end the workers’ contract abruptly. A troubling ensemble of Pinkerton guards and HR goons showed up at the workers’ office, handing out cardboard boxes and telling people to pack up their things. Access to email and the internet was cut off immediately in the office.

“Everyone gets their paper box and starts packing. They have about 20 minutes to pack up while under threat of having the cops called on them for trespassing,” Marner described in a video.

As her coworkers were finishing packing, Marner says she returned to the office to collect her own things. At that point, she says she was told she was trespassing and that they would have to mail her things to her, with one HR representative going so far as to rip a box from her hand, leaving her bruised.

Though Google said in a statement to Passionfruit that the firing decision was due to the workers’ contract “routinely” coming to an end, the timing feels a little suspicious. To say the least.

“Now, many of the workers feel that they could lose their homes due to the sudden and unexpected layoff,” a statement from the Austin City Council reads, “which some of them believe could be retaliation for standing up today.” That day, the council passed a 9-1 resolution to call on Google to bargain with the workers in “good faith.”

Back in January 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced a decision that Google, YouTube’s owner, illegally refused to bargain with these YouTube Music content operation workers after they went on strike in February 2023. These workers voted to unionize in April 2023 with the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU), a 1,400+ member organization for employees of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

The group of workers included music experts, writers, graphic designers, and content launch coordinators. According to a press release from the AWU, the workers were responsible for “ensuring music content is available and approved for YouTube Music’s 80 million subscribers worldwide.” Many were creators and musicians who contracted with the company for their day jobs, according to the Austin Chronicle.

The AWU filed a complaint on behalf of these workers with the NLRB, the federal agency that protects employees’ rights to collectively bargain for better working conditions and wages. The AWU argued that Google violated federal labor laws prohibiting employers from retaliating against their employees for organizing efforts.

Specifically, after the workers unionized, Google implemented a suspicious return-to-office mandate that forced many employees to “voluntarily terminate” their jobs.

The workers were employed by Google in conjunction with a subcontractor called Cognizant. Google has been trying to appeal the NLRB’s decision, attempting to convince the court that it is not the employer of these particular workers and, therefore, it is not responsible for bargaining with them. It echoed these sentiments in a statement for Passionfruit, saying, “As we’ve shared before, these are not Google employees. Cognizant is responsible for these workers’ employment terms, including staffing.”

However, the NLRB ruled Google is these workers’ “joint employer” due to the level of control Google has over their working conditions. For example, Google is accused of having influence over a recent decision to revoke the workers’ sick pay.

THE COMMENTS SECTION

“We have been fighting for years now to get Google, one of the most powerful and well-resourced companies in the world, to negotiate with us so that we could make a living in exchange for the work we do to make their products better. It is disgusting that Google has taken this path when confronted with its workers’ modest demands to be treated fairly on the job.“
— Jack Benedict, YouTuber Music Worker.

This situation with Cognizant wasn’t the first time a major tech platform got into hot water over issues with a subcontracting company. In November 2023, another group of 120 contractors, who were tech employees connected to YouTube through subcontractor Accenture, voted to unionize. They have been facing similar legal challenges by Google over whether or not the company is technically considered their “joint employer.”

I wrote more about this “joint employer” distinction here. But if you want my TLDR, simply know it’s a way for Google to distance itself from its responsibilities over these workers.

One of the reasons I think it’s important for creators (and everyone else) to pay attention to these stories is that the NLRB is currently under attack. SpaceX, Amazon, and Trader Joe’s are all trying to argue that the 88-year-old institution is “unconstitutional.”

These latest moves from these corporations go far beyond the typical union-busting tactics. They attempt to tear down the foundations of post-New Deal American labor law — like the Federal Trade Commission Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, and Environmental Protection Agency regulations. In short, all the federal laws that protect workers from being taken advantage of.

If this sounds concerning, it is. So, while this latest fight for YouTube Music contractors may seem like an isolated incident far away from your personal concerns, I’d urge you to support their fight and learn more about how these issues could impact you and the people you love.

– Grace Stanley, Deputy Editor

LABOR

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Moderators say they were underpaid and overworked in a gaming server by popular YouTuber Quackity.

By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor

Quackity QSMP Moderators Revolt, YouTuber Apologizes

→ READ THE FULL STORY

SXSW Creator Meetup

This Sunday, Passionfruit is headed to Austin to host a meet up for creators (and creator-adjacents) from 2-7:30pm. We’ll have a performance from Yoni Lotan, a panel from Teach:able and Creator Economy NYC, and free drinks all day long. Space is limited, 21+.

RSVP HERE

IN THE BIZ

YouTube Create, Google’s video editing software, has expanded its beta version to 21 countries. It aims to rival TikTok by allowing creators to edit videos directly on their phones.
Facebook has revamped its Creator Bonus Program, now offering unlimited rewards and expanding access to new countries, including in Asia.
Florida is expected to pass a bill banning children under 16 from social media. The bill specifically targets the adult content creation industry, forcing platforms like OnlyFans to implement age verification software, like ID scanners.
This upcoming week, the Creator Economy track at SXSW will be packed with incredible events for creators. Here are our picks for this year’s best classes to check out.

PERSONALITIES

Creator Eric Sedeño Just Wants to Make People Smile

The 27-year-old TikTok star wants to be a ‘little bright spot’ on the internet.

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor

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TIPS & TRICKS

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How to Kickstart Your Kickstarter Career

The definitive guide to getting started with Kickstarter.

By Patricia Grisafi, Passionfruit Contributor

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JOB BOARD

Travel creator DrewDoes is looking for an assistant video editor.
Jomboy Media is looking for an on-camera content creator.
YouTuber Coding with Lewis is looking for a video editor.
Strange Rebel Gaming is looking for a channel manager.

YOUTUBE MADE ME DO IT

In the latest episode of the Reactorverse Podcast, creator Adonis Xavier shares his journey from starting the SSJutsu YouTube channel to making it a platform for his anime passion.

He delves into the challenges and rewards of being an independent creator, including navigating work/life balance amid personal changes.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Passionfruit YouTube channel to catch every episode!