cua cà mau cua tươi sống cua cà mau bao nhiêu 1kg giá cua hôm nay giá cua cà mau hôm nay cua thịt cà mau cua biển cua biển cà mau cách luộc cua cà mau cua gạch cua gạch cà mau vựa cua cà mau lẩu cua cà mau giá cua thịt cà mau hôm nay giá cua gạch cà mau giá cua gạch cách hấp cua cà mau cua cốm cà mau cua hấp mua cua cà mau cua ca mau ban cua ca mau cua cà mau giá rẻ cua biển tươi cuaganic cua cua thịt cà mau cua gạch cà mau cua cà mau gần đây hải sản cà mau cua gạch son cua đầy gạch giá rẻ các loại cua ở việt nam các loại cua biển ở việt nam cua ngon cua giá rẻ cua gia re crab farming crab farming cua cà mau cua cà mau cua tươi sống cua tươi sống cua cà mau bao nhiêu 1kg giá cua hôm nay giá cua cà mau hôm nay cua thịt cà mau cua biển cua biển cà mau cách luộc cua cà mau cua gạch cua gạch cà mau vựa cua cà mau lẩu cua cà mau giá cua thịt cà mau hôm nay giá cua gạch cà mau giá cua gạch cách hấp cua cà mau cua cốm cà mau cua hấp mua cua cà mau cua ca mau ban cua ca mau cua cà mau giá rẻ cua biển tươi cuaganic cua cua thịt cà mau cua gạch cà mau cua cà mau gần đây hải sản cà mau cua gạch son cua đầy gạch giá rẻ các loại cua ở việt nam các loại cua biển ở việt nam cua ngon cua giá rẻ cua gia re crab farming crab farming cua cà mau
Skip to main content

Four fired employees plan to file charges against Google. Here’s what’s next

Four former Google employees who were unceremoniously fired from their positions just before Thanksgiving said Tuesday that they will file charges of “unfair labor practices” with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). But it may be a long road ahead with few available options for the group, who were attempting to organize a Google employee union prior to their terminations.

A spokesperson for the NLRB confirmed to us that they have not yet received a filing for this complaint in the board’s system, but that the NLRB has reached settlements with Google on a number of issues. The four consist of engineers Laurence Berland, Sophie Waldman, Paul Duke, and Rebecca Rivers.

Recommended Videos

In a statement, Google told Digital Trends that “we dismissed four individuals who were engaged in intentional and often repeated violations of our longstanding data security policies, including systematically accessing and disseminating other employees’ materials and work. No one has been dismissed for raising concerns or debating the company’s activities.” News of the group’s plan to file a complaint coincided with Google’s announcement that company founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are stepping down from their executive roles at Alphabet, Google’s parent company.

Jeffrey Hirsch, a University of North Carolina law professor and former National Labor Relations Board attorney, told Digital Trends that this case is rather run of the mill — but that doesn’t mean it will be easy.

“There seem to be real questions about Google’s motivations here,” he said. “That’s going to be a big factual question: Where the terminations of these people because of their activity? Or because of the mishandling of information?”

Hirsch said next steps — assuming the four do file their NLRB claim — would be an investigation, in which the NLRB would look at facts, give Google an opportunity to respond, and then make a judgment as to whether the case has any merit any NLRB-related statutes. The board often receives complaints that are violations, but do not fall under its jurisdiction, Hirsch explained.

This could be a factor that could trip the four up. One of the issues on the agenda of Google labor organizers was Google’s cooperation with the Pentagon, and plan to build a censored search engine for China. While they may find these morally objectionable, these projects have nothing to do with actual work conditions. The four could not immediately be reached for comment.

Another factor could be precedent: If other workers have been fired from Google for similar reasons, or if Google can show that these people were already on the chopping block — “even if protected conduct was a factor,” Hirsch said — the case might be dead on arrival.

All in all, it’s likely that Google will settle, Hirsch said, which could come in three different options: One, the four would get their jobs back; two, they would receive back pay for the months (or, more likely, years) of time when they should have been employed; three, Google will have to post a notice stating how they violated the law, and that they won’t do it again.

“You’d be surprised the number of times companies really get ticked off about posting that notice,” Hirsch said with a laugh.

This is all a reminder that this comes with being high profile, said Hirsch. “Beyond legal interpretations, Google has to worry about how this looks.” He pointed to Google’s recent actions hiring the notorious anti-union consulting firm IRI Consultants as an example. “This contradicts with the way they’ve been selling themselves.”

Update 12/9: A spokesperson for the NLRB confirmed to Digital Trends that they had received a complaint in this matter. The complaint states that Google “engaged in…unlawful conduct to discourage and chill employees from engaging in protected concerted and union activities in violation of the National Labor Relations Act.”

Maya Shwayder
I'm a multimedia journalist currently based in New England. I previously worked for DW News/Deutsche Welle as an anchor and…
Apple’s smart home display already sounds like a convenience victory
Nest Hub Max

Over the past few weeks, rumors of Apple developing a smart display for home control have picked up pace. The company is said to be developing two versions, and one of them might even feature a robotic arm and revive an iconic Mac’s design. 

Now, Bloomberg has shared some juicy details about how the entry-level option will look and work. The device will offer a 6-inch screen with a square-ish format flanked by sensors, including a FaceTime camera in landscape orientation. 

Read more
Trade group says EV tax incentive helps U.S. industry compete versus China
ev group support tax incentive 201 seer credit eligibility

The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), a trade group with members including the likes of Tesla, Waymo, Rivian, and Uber, is coming out in support of tax incentives for both the production and sale of electric vehicles (EVs).

Domestic manufacturers of EVs and their components, such as batteries, have received tax incentives that have driven job opportunities in states like Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Georgia, the group says.

Read more
The Penguin fans think it hid a classic Batman villain in plain sight
Cristin Milioti stands behind Theo Rossi in The Penguin.

It may be a spinoff of one of the biggest comic book movies of the past few years, but The Penguin is actually pretty light on Easter eggs and deep-cut references. That said, some fans of the DC series believe they've spotted an intriguing pair of items in it that may hint at one Penguin character's real identity. Fans have specifically spotlighted a quick shot from The Penguin's fourth episode in which Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) is shown standing alone in the office of her former Arkham Asylum psychiatrist, Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi).

Behind Sofia, fans have noted a familiar-looking rag mask hanging on Rush's desk, as well as a glove with what looks like syringe-like fingers, two items that are famously worn in the comics by Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. Scarecrow. Like Rush, Scarecrow is a psychology expert in the comics, one who develops a hallucinogenic drug that he uses to terrorize the people of Gotham City with their worst fears. At no point in The Penguin does Rush do anything like that, but the presence of the villain's mask and glove in his office has led many to speculate about whether or not Rossi's character will turn out to be the Scarecrow of Matt Reeves' Batman universe.

Read more