Google workers make waves with new union

The decision by the Alphabet Workers Union to launch this week as a minority union could present an alternative framework for organizing at other Silicon Valley giants.

Minority unions — most commonly organized in states that prohibit collective bargaining by government employees — do not seek recognition from the National Labor Relations Board and do not have formalized bargaining power.

Alphabet Workers Union and Communications Workers of America representatives who spoke to The Hill gave two main reasons for choosing to pursue this model: growth opportunities and inclusivity.

The union at Alphabet and its subsidiary Google started with a little over 220 members, but they are hopeful that the attention being paid to the group as well as the ability to speak about it in public will increase those numbers.

The massive size of Alphabet, which employs upward of 120,000 workers worldwide, is considered another reason to go with the nontraditional unionization route.