Jacobin Gets The Inside Scoop on How Google Workers Organized to Stop Project Maven

Last Friday, Google announced that it will not renew its contract with the US military for Project Maven.  In a revealing interview, an anonymous Googler shared what went down inside the company as workers organized to halt the project. It’s a riveting read, full of powerful insights as workers elsewhere begin to take up the mantle. From the interview:

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Workers Perspective

Jacobin Gets The Inside Scoop on How Google Workers Organized to Stop Project Maven

Last Friday, Google announced that it will not renew its contract with the US military for Project Maven.  In a revealing interview, an anonymous Googler shared what went down inside the company as workers organized to halt the project. It’s a riveting read, full of powerful insights as workers elsewhere begin to take up the mantle. From the interview:

Sometimes, with organizing, you don’t see how close you are to winning something until it happens. Our campaign had been going on for months, and it didn’t feel like we were making much progress. Then all of a sudden we got this huge concession.

The success of the campaign shows that when we stick together, we get more done than when we go it alone. We have to keep building a voice for workers based on mutual trust and aid. We have to continue building relationships not just at Google but across the industry and with other groups as well, like ICRAC, Tech Workers Coalition, and Coworker.org. We also need to reach out to the users of our technologies and build bonds of mutual interest with them.

One response we heard a lot during the Project Maven campaign was, “If we don’t build it, someone else will.” But when tech workers stand up at one company and refuse to build something, it empowers workers at other companies to stand up and do the same. When we show our power in one workplace, it helps other workers show their power in another.

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Upcoming Events

Seattle Tech Contractors: Know your Rights: Sunday 10/6. University Branch of The Seattle Public Library, 5009 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105. FB Event

Media Training: Thursday 14/6, 6:30PM @ Unite Here! 2, 209 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco.

The Code of Conduct is in effect at all TWC events.

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Press

Students Pledge Not To Interview At Google in Protest Of Pentagon Work

UPS Workers Authorize Strike
In what would be an important demonstration of worker power, over 90% of UPS’ 250,000 workersvoted to go on strike if UPS does not agree to an acceptable contract by July 31 when the current contract expires.

Google Employees Showed Up at Shareholders Meeting And Argued Pay Should Be Linked to Diversity Goals. USA Today.

Las Vegas Casino Workers Prep for Strike Over Automation Don’t start with all this BS that you’re there for hospitality when you’re turning everything over to machines. It’s going to eliminate a lot of jobs for us, and then where do we go?” The Guardian

Amazon Concedes To Worker Demands “That showed us that we are very powerful,” said Aaisha Jama, an employee at the facility who’s been mobilizing colleagues for the cause…“ Inspired as always by learning about workers fighting and winning.

Shoutout to the Editorial Staff At The New Yorker For Forming a Union. You can follow the New Yorker Union here.

Silicon Valley Rising Wants Google To contribute to an affordable housing fund and support stronger policies for tenants rights. Seems pretty simple for a company like Google that has such a big impact on this community.

According to Uber’s SEC filing(they’re getting ready to do an IPO), its drivers are the company’s actual customers…?

And if you missed us at the Left Forum last weekend, check out the video here.

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Song Of The Week

Elaine Brown - The End of Silence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC-JbT9ic7g

Have you ever hoped that
A time would come
When your voice could be heard
In a noon-day sun
Have you waited so long
‘Til your unheard song
Has stripped away your very soul