The Communications Workers of America union filed a federal labor charge against Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google on Thursday, accusing the company of unlawfully firing four employees to deter workers from engaging in union activities.
The complaint will trigger a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigation into whether Google violated the four individuals’ right to collectively raise concerns about working conditions.
Google fired the four named employees “to discourage and chill employees from engaging in protected concerted and union activities,” the filing states. “Its actions are the antithesis of the freedoms and transparency it publicly touts.”
Google did not respond to a request for comment on the filing, though it has said the four workers were let go for violating the company’s data-security policies.
Google also last month acknowledged hiring a consultancy known for defeating unionism.
The CWA union, which represents 700,000 North Americans working at AT&T Inc (T.N), Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and companies in several other industries, has been trying to organize workers at Google, said Laurie Burgess, an attorney at Messing Adam & Jasmine who worked on the NLRB filing.
The union stepped forward to make the charge against the company “because it has been harmed by Google’s actions,” she said.
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