Google parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) is facing a new labor complaint over its treatment of contract workers.
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The U.S. National Labor Relations Board has agreed to hear a case that claims Alphabet is the employer of some contract technology workers in California and should be forced to bargain with those contract workers’ union.
The latest labor complaint claims that Google is a “joint employer” of about 50 San Francisco-based content creation workers employed by technology firm Accenture Flex who voted to join the Alphabet Workers Union back in 2023.
The Alphabet Workers Union’s complaint further asserts that Google and Accenture Flex made changes to working conditions without first bargaining with union representatives. The complaint will be heard by an administrative judge whose decision can be reviewed by a five-person panel of the National Labor Relations Board.
Dodging Unions
Google has previously contested and appealed labor decisions against it related to contract workers, including a group of workers at YouTube Music, which the company owns. The technology company has argued repeatedly that it does not exert enough control over contract workers to be their employer.
Last year, Google parent Alphabet eliminated a $15-per-hour minimum wage for contractors and made other changes to avoid having to bargain with unions. The Alphabet Workers Union is an affiliate of the Communication Workers of America union and is trying to organize workers at the tech giant.
GOOGL stock has risen 42% in the last 12 months.
Is GOOGL Stock a Buy?
The stock of Alphabet has a consensus Strong Buy rating among 31 Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on 24 Buy and seven Hold recommendations assigned in the last three months. The average GOOGL price target of $212.64 implies 8.01% upside from current levels.
