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Google Maps contractors win extension on return to office after row over “unsafe work conditions”

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Google Maps contractors secured a return to work extension

After threatening to strike, Google contractors successfully have successfully persuaded the tech giant to extend their return to the office.

Google Maps contract workers obtained a 90-day extension to return to the office after the company initially scheduled a return to office date of June 6.

The Alphabet Workers Union stated that the contractors were concerned about “unsafe working conditions” connected to Covid-19, and got the extension from Google just 3 hours after they threatened to strike. 

READ MORE: GOOGLE MAPS CONTRACTORS FIGHTING RETURN TO OFFICE PLAN

A Union representative said: “Safety was the primary concern, as there were no clear commitments to basic COVID safety protocols.”

The Alphabet Workers Union represents employees of Alphabet, Google's parent company.

Over 200 contract workers contribute to Google Maps, and they are paid between $16 and $28 per hour.

The Union said the contractors are employed by Cognizant Technology Solutions and “do everything from providing up to date info on traffic disruptions, mapping out the safest routes to take during natural disasters and adding in the latest COVID testing site locations for Google Maps users.”

The threat comes after more than 60 percent of the contractors signed a petition last month calling for a better strategy for returning to their Washington State workplace despite rising housing costs and petrol costs.

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It was reported that full-time Google employees may come into the office three days a week, and Cognizant contractors wanted the same freedom.

Google says a billion people use Google Maps every month, so a strike by some of the app's major contributors might be disastrous for the its functionality. 

Source: Gizmodo

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