The moment 43 unionized YouTube Music subcontractors lost their jobs was dramatically caught on camera during a meeting at Austin City Hall in Texas last week.
Youtube Music workers fired after asking Austin City Council for Google's negotiated settlement
Ironically, the purpose of the meeting was to vote on a resolution submitted by members of the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA for the City Council to call on Google and Cognizant, the contractors' employer, to "engage in good negotiations with the union representing the workers at YouTube Music Content Operations Teams to address their issues and work toward mutually beneficial solutions.”
The draft resolution went on to list "fair compensation, job security and workplace protections for YouTube Music workers, recognizing their integral role in the success of the platform" as issues the union wanted to address.
The Austin team, which made sure music was available and approved for use, complained they received no sick pay and were paid just $19 an hour with minimal benefits. Some reported having to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. They also cited a return-to-office order that shrunk the team by 20 percent.
