#GoogleWalkout organizers say tech giant retaliated against them with denial, demotions and gas lighting

Two Google employees who helped organize the massive global protest that led 20,000 workers out of their offices in November claim the company opposes them.

"Google has a retirement culture, which too often works to make women, people of color and gender minorities," reads a letter signed by Meredith Whittaker, Claire Stapleton and 10 other Google employees. "Forgery is not always obvious. It is often confusing and drawn out, consisting of icy calls, gas lighting, project cancellations, transitional discounts or demotions."

Whittaker writes that Google said she had to leave her job at the New York University's AI Now Institute, which she co-founded and works with, to remain on Google. Stapleton, a 1[ads1]2-year-old Google veteran who recently worked for YouTube's marketing department, says she was told she would lose half of her reports and that a previously approved project was killed.

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"I am still strongly committed to my work @AINowInstitute. Google's retaliation is not about me, or @clairewaves, "Whittaker, who came to Google in 2006, said in a Monday night tweet. "It's about heavier dissent and scare us to talk honestly about technology and power. Not OK. Now it's more than ever to talk."

Stapleton pushed back by hiring a lawyer and said that Google "went back" to her breakdown, even though she says the work environment remains hostile.

Walkout focused on Google's handling of sexual harassment claims against leaders and its superior culture, as the participants claim makes it possible for racist and sexist discrimination to flourish. The search giant was blasted by workers to pay out $ 135 million to two executives accused of sexual harassment.

The woman collected 350 stories during the Walkout, and the pattern that emerged is a retribution, in the form of being punished, sidelined, or expelled, if an employee rises and reports discrimination, according to the letter published first by Wired.

The tech giant has guidelines to prevent retaliation against employees who have reported concerns, a source familiar with the case told Fox News.

"We prohibit retaliation in the workplace and investigate all claims. Employees and teams are regularly and frequently recruited or reorganized to keep up with evolving business needs," a Fox spokesman said on Tuesday. "There has been no return here

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Google has faced a wave of worker activism over issues such as sexual harassment and profitability.

(AP)

Several Google employees tweeted support messages in the wake of this last letter.

"Retaliation is a common fear tactic and one that I saw so often when I organized fast food and retail workers. This tells me that Google is another ruthless business behind the mask of play and positivity," said Amr Gaber, a Google engineer. 19659003] Gaber, who volunteered with the Tech Workers Coalition, also said: "By resorting to retaliation, Google creates a fear culture. It is difficult to confront this fear alone and cause people to become quiet and isolated when they need to be heard and supported most. "

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A wave of activism from technology employees has failed through Silicon Valley over the past year or so, leading to a setback against More Projects and Actions Employees have pushed back on projects at Google, Amazon and Microsoft over concerns about Big Tech partnerships with the military, police and a possible censored Chinese version of Google Search.

"If we want to stop discrimination, harassment and Unethical decision making, we must end the retaliation against the people who speak honestly about these issues, "said Google workers.

According to Whittaker and Stapleton, there will be a" Google Retaliation Town Hall "April 26 for employees sharing stories and strategies.