Over 4,500 Google employees sign petition demanding layoff protections amid AI push

What happened

The Alphabet Workers Union delivered a petition with over 4,500 employee signatures directly to Sundar Pichai's office. Workers gathered outside Google's California headquarters as the document was submitted.

Context and impact

Google is investing massively in AI while cutting parts of its workforce, creating growing internal tension. This petition is one of the first coordinated collective actions by employees at a major tech company explicitly targeting AI-driven job cuts.

Details

• Signatures: more than 4,500 Google employees
• Demands: guaranteed severance before mandatory layoffs; option for paid leave instead of severance; end to quota-based performance ratings
• Quote: 'These layoffs are not difficult decisions — they are profits over people' (AWU president Parul Koul)
• Company context: Google at ~$4 trillion valuation is still cutting employees
• Trend: similar petitions have emerged at Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft