back to article Google Californian warehouse workers file to form union

Workers at a Google Express warehouse in San Francisco have filed to form a union, citing poor conditions, low wages, and lack of benefits. The Teamsters Local Union 853 announced that 140 workers at the facility have filed for a representation election. Google Express Services, operated by Swiss HR biz Adecco, provides …

  1. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Devil

    Google Express saw an opportunity in the market

    "What local businesses and customers were missing was a middleman employing people in poor working conditions. We at Google thought we were just the right company to step in and remedy that. We even outsourced it all to Adecco so we've got someone to blame."

  2. DropBear

    Of coure they haven't received any complaints...

    ...I bet the appropriate forms are on public display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory and there's an _actual_ leopard - just to be sure...

    1. SolidSquid

      Re: Of coure they haven't received any complaints...

      Don't even need to go that far if staff are fairly certain that reporting the problems will result in a rapid shortening of that 2 year employment term

  3. Ian Michael Gumby
    Boffin

    Its the nature of the business.

    Look at all of the major corporations... they want to cut costs so they out source the labor to contractors who then abuse the employees on the company's behalf.

    It keeps the brand an arm's length from the issue.

    Check out Walmart as an example...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Poor wages and low benifits, really, in a warehouse where most of the jobs can be replaced by other unskilled workers off the street. Good odds that the contract goes to a different company in less than a year and all these workers are let go.

    Ironically, that they are even unionizing likely makes them more above board than some similar in California that flat out use 'undocumented' workers due to cheapness and fear of complaining since are in the country illegally.

  5. graeme leggett Silver badge

    "failing electrical systems resulting in fires."

    One for getting the US equivalent of the HSE or local authority Environmental Services involved?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The bearded folks were always right!

    There is no prosperity for a few privileged without ruthless exploitation of large masses of others.

    I'm sure Mr. Worstall could come up with a two pages article about free market, entrepreneurship and other BS but I've summed it up in one phrase just for the sake of clarity.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The bearded folks were always right!

      Ahh, you have seen Adam Smith's 'Invisible Hand'. It is making an 'o' with it's thumb and four fingers, while moving vertically and in a slight arch.

      1. earl grey
        Unhappy

        Re: The bearded folks were always right!

        And here I thought it was an upraised middle finger with the back of the hand pointed our way.

  7. ecofeco Silver badge

    What an amazing coincidence!

    Those conditions sound just like the HP server factory I used to work at!

    No joke.

  8. skeptical i
    Devil

    shareholder value

    Unionized labour? Higher personnel spend (wages, working conditions improvement)? How are shareholders supposed to get their precious returns if the company goes spaffing dollars on silly things like workplace improvements?

  9. fishbone

    uh, two year employment? In California? In the bay area? Lawsuit!

    Lawyers are waiting.

  10. Steve Aubrey

    I want to write for El Reg

    I will have one sentence per paragraph.

    I believe that El Reg pays by paragraph.

    Having one sentence per paragraph means I will get higher pay.

    This is what I want..

    (apologies to the author - struck by the 1:1 ratio between paragraphs and sentences - and now I'm cheating to get all this into one sentence/paragraph thingie.)

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