[ryanseys]

Disclaimer: FTE at Verily (Google Life Sciences)

Sounds like this isn't the first time this has happened and won't be the last. Both Compass (the firm that employs these cafeteria workers) and Google both have experience working with unions and are committed to working through this. Happy that these employees are getting the representation they deserve. I hope this means that these people will get better benefits that Google FTEs enjoy and stronger protections.

As a FTE at Verily (an Alphabet subsidiary), the management's priorities are very clearly not focused on challenging the status quo in these areas -- they are focused on running the "core business". I can only guess the sentiment is similar within Google.

I look forward to seeing this issue continue to get light and hope that business priorities evolve to incorporate the more humanistic aspects of running a business instead of simply focusing on the bottom line all the time.

[sfink]

> Google [has] experience working with unions and [is] committed to working through this.

My impression is that Google's experience is mostly in seemingly illegal union-busting (well, preventing) efforts. Then again, my impression is wholly based on reading HN articles on the topic, generally related only to engineers.

But I suppose they'll do what they're legally forced to do, more or less.

[pmoriarty]

Or Google could just leave.

I hope they do.

Good riddance.

[utopian3]

> Or they could just leave.

Who? Google or the employees

[fallingfrog]

“Committed to working through this”

“Look forward to seeing the issue continue to get light”

“Business priorities evolve”

You didn’t say anything particularly disagreeable but I wonder if you realize how this kind of language comes across- this is the way people talk to you right before they fire you or take away your healthcare or something. This kind of business speak just screams, I’m someone who cannot be trusted. It’s the language of power. We all cringe and grimace when the boss talks like this. It’s why you’re getting downvoted, I’d guess.

[ryanseys]

Guess I've worked in the corporate machine for too long...

Thanks for keeping me in check. I didn't mean any harm from my comment but I can see where you're coming from, just wanted to give a summary of what the article seems to imply and a bit of perspective from the inside.

To me this whole thing feels like a complex issue with a lot of nuance, varying perspectives and information asymmetry, so downvotes don't surprise me.

[zelon88]

> I look forward to seeing this issue continue to get light and hope that business priorities evolve to incorporate the more humanistic aspects of running a business instead of simply focusing on the bottom line all the time.

Do you really? Because the next step is automating the cafeteria.

When was the last time business priorities evolved to become more expensive?

[minimuffins]

The corporation can only do things like automate away the cafeteria if its employees let it. The point of a union is that workers - the people who do all the work and keep the profits rolling in - take back some control and decide things like this for themselves.

It's defeatist, and extremely unrealistic, to think we just have to roll over and let the bosses do whatever they want just because that's what we've always done up til now.

There's not some deterministic invisible power that says immiseration via automation is inevitable. It's just a matter of collective will as to whether we accept or reject power's desire to screw us over in that particular way.