Google walkout organizers vow to 'not let up' following CEO's response
Google walkout organizers vow to 'not let up' following
CEO's response
Fighting the good fight.
BY JACK MORSE November 8, 2018
The battle to reform Google is just getting started.
Hours after Google CEO Sundar Pichai emailed employees a
plan to end forced arbitration in cases involving sexual harassment and assault
at the company, organizers of last week's global Google walkout responded with
a statement of their own. The letter, signed by nine employees, was clear:
There's more work to be done.
"We commend this progress, and the rapid action
which brought it about," read the statement in part. "However, the
response ignored several of the core demands — like elevating the diversity
officer and employee representation on the board — and troublingly erased those
focused on racism, discrimination, and the structural inequity built into the
modern day Jim Crow class system that separates ‘full time’ employees from
contract workers."
The walkout organizers say that they're frustrated by
Pichai's failure to address key elements of their complaint – for example, widespread
pay discrimination.
"[The] company must address issues of systemic
racism and discrimination, including pay equity and rates of promotion, and not
just sexual harassment alone," continued the statement.
The walkout, which took place on Nov. 1, saw
approximately 20,000 employees leave their Google offices around the globe at
11:10 a.m. local time. The coordinated effort followed reports that Google paid
Android creator Andy Rubin $90 million after it had determined that allegations
of sexual misconduct levied against him were credible.
Google Walkout For Real Change
@GoogleWalkout
· 2h
Replying to @GoogleWalkout
This is a global movement, and the beginning of our
continued work, not the end.
While we’re thrilled to see progress on sexual
harassment, we will not let up on the demands most urgent for women of color:
an employee representative on the board, elevating the chief diversity officer,
greater transparency on & an end to opportunity inequity at Google &
beyond
2:10 PM - Nov 8, 2018
“We demand a truly equitable culture," organizer
Stephanie Parker wrote in response to Pichai's Nov. 8 email, "and Google
leadership can achieve this by putting employee representation on the board and
giving full rights and protections to contract workers, our most vulnerable
workers, many of whom are Black and Brown women.”
Organizers say they intend to meet with Google execs in
pursuit of getting all — not just some — of their demands met. This means the
ball is once again in Pichai's court.
Time will tell if he drops it.
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