Alphabet Workers Union members delivered a petition to Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday, demanding stronger layoff protections as tech giants pour billions into artificial intelligence.
The petition, signed by over 4,500 workers, calls for guaranteed severance packages, voluntary buyouts before mandatory cuts, and the option to convert severance into extended paid leave.
Union leaders also urged Google to eliminate performance ratings they claim favor arbitrary quotas over actual job merit.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Union Cites Company's Success
"Make no mistake: this is a company that is enjoying massive, unprecedented success," said Parul Koul, a Google software engineer and president of the Alphabet Workers Union.
Speaking outside Google's California headquarters, Koul noted the company's $4 trillion valuation, which quadrupled in six years, arguing that staff cuts prioritize profit over workers.
"These layoffs and cuts are not difficult decisions, but simply profit being put over the people that make this company run," Koul said.
Employees faced locked doors during the delivery but left the document with a staff member in Pichai's office who promised to hand it to the executive.
"This petition is the largest piece of employee feedback that Google has received about job security," Koul said.
Previous organizing efforts involving hundreds of workers nationwide failed to elicit a response from executive leadership, according to Koul.
"We've organized actions mobilizing hundreds of Googlers around the country to raise visibility and attention to these concerns and despite this, Google management has chosen to ignore us," she said.
"This is why we gathered here in person today," Koul added.
Google software engineer Dan Freedman expressed anxiety about AI integration into his design tools, fearing potential replacement.
"I have to wonder if I'm next," Freedman said.
In the broader tech landscape, dozens of Meta employees recently sued their employer, claiming AI tools targeted workers who took protected leave for layoffs.
Meta disputed the claims, calling them meritless.
Industry-wide downsizings have affected thousands: Oracle cut roughly 21,000 jobs, Block shed 4,000 workers, and Microsoft plans to lay off 2.1 percent of its workforce, mainly in gaming.
