Google Contractors Laid Off During City Council Testimony

Unionized YouTube Music workers, in the midst of testifying before the Austin City Council about the need for higher pay and better benefits, were shocked to learn that they had been laid off by Google. The layoff came amid a year-long fight for better working conditions, with the National Labor Relations Board ruling that Google and its subcontractor, Cognizant, are joint employers of the workers. Google's refusal to negotiate with the unionized workers has been deemed illegal, and the company claims the layoff was a routine end of contract agreed upon with Cognizant. The affected workers, however, were caught off guard and are now facing financial uncertainty.