GOOGLE IN ‘FIRE’ FIGHT

Axed staff files suit

A group of ex-Google employees has filed a federal labor complaint alleging they were illegally fired for their involvement in office protests over the company’s business ties to the Israeli government.

Filed with the National Labor Relations Board late Monday, the complaint alleges that Google “unlawfully retaliated” against workers who staged a “peaceful, nondisruptive protest” for improved working conditions, according to Jane Chung, a spokesperson for protest organizer No Tech for Apartheid.

The workers are “seeking reinstatement of their jobs, back pay, and affirmation from Google leadership that it will not retaliate,” Chung said.

“Google is attempting to instill fear in employees by illegally punishing and retaliating against those expressing dissent about Google’s profit and complicity in genocide,” said Zelda Montes, one of the nine employees who was arrested for trespassing during the office protests.

The pro-Palestinian staffers, many of whom wore traditional Arab headscarves and masks, stormed the office buildings to demand that Google withdraw from the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus, in which Google and Amazon provide cloud services for Israel.

Representatives for the workers did not return requests for comment. Google said it stands by the actions it has taken.

10-hour sit-ins

As The Post reported earlier this month, Google fired 28 employees over their participation in 10hour-long sit-ins at the company’s offices in and Sunnyvale, Calif.

“They took over office spaces, defaced our property, and physically impeded the work of other Googlers,” Google Vice President of Global Security Chris Rackow said in a companywide memo obtained by The Post. “Their behavior was unacceptable, extremely disruptive, and made co-workers feel threatened.” The company later confirmed that it had fired an unspecified number of additional staffers after an internal investigation determined they were “directly involved in disruptive activity.”

No Tech For Apartheid has claimed that more than 50 Google employees were fired, although the company has not commented on that figure. The group has also alleged that some “nonparticipating bystanders” were fired.