AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This story has been updated to show that according to Google, the workers who were laid off are not employed by Google. They are Cognizant employees working on assignment for YouTube. The Alphabet Workers Union has disputed Google's claim to KVUE.
A recent Austin City Council meeting took a sudden turn after workers assigned to YouTube Music learned they were getting laid off.
During the meeting on Feb. 29, Cognizant employees were calling on Google for better pay, benefits, and job security.
As one worker spoke to city leaders, another worker relayed the news, "They just laid us all off. Our jobs are ended today, effective immediately."
Following the meeting, Google responded by stating the layoffs were previously planned as contracts were already set to end at this time.
Employees working with YouTube Music have been protesting against "inadequate compensation, lack of job security, and insufficient benefits," along with a return to in-office work, for the past year.
In 2022, more than 50 employees filed to be represented by the Alphabet Workers Union-Communion Workers of America, AWU-CWA. The following year, the employees elected to officially unionize during a process authorized by the National Labor Relations Board, NLRB.
Since then, unionized workers have held protests outside of the Google offices in downtown Austin.
Response from Austin City Council members
Following Thursday's meeting, some city council members also expressed their belief that these workers deserve better.
District 9 representative Zohaib "Zo" Qadri and District 2 representative Vanessa Fuentes provided commentary on the matter.
"I am absolutely appalled that Google laid off employees exercising their right to organize for a living wage and job protection's during today's city council meeting," Fuentes said.
Following Thursday's meeting, a resolution was passed by the Austin City Council in support of the laid off workers.
Google's response on contract with Cognizant ending
A Google spokesperson told KVUE that this was a business-as-usual contract ending, which happens frequently across their company with many supplier contracts.
Google said they're not responsible for the employment or working conditions of the workers since they're employed by Cognizant. They also said Cognizant is said to be providing support to the workers who were laid off, including opportunities to find new roles inside Cognizant.
Here's the full statement Google released to KVUE:
"As we’ve shared before, these are not Google employees. Cognizant is responsible for these workers' employment terms, including staffing. As is the case here, contracts with our suppliers across the company routinely end on their natural expiry date, which was agreed to with Cognizant.”
Recent layoffs in Austin
In recent weeks, other large corporations have also announced layoffs impacting Austin workers.
Travel company Expedia recently announced it plans to lay off 1,500 employees nationwide and 64 in Austin. In January, a video game development software company unit stated it would lay off dozens of its Austin employees.