More than 200 sign up for Google’s first union.

Organization will be open to all employees and contractors in North America

Employees of Google and parent company Alphabet announced the creation of a union on Monday, escalating years of confrontation between workers and management of the internet giant.

The Alphabet Workers Union will collect dues, pay organizing staff and have an elected board of directors. It will be open to all employees and contractors in North America, regardless of their role or classification, and plans to take on issues including compensation and ethical concerns such as the kinds of work Google engages in. More than 200 workers have signed up to join so far, the group said.

“A lot of us employees are feeling disempowered, like we don’t have a say in the direction the company is taking anymore,” said Google software engineer Kimberly Wilber, an activist with the new group. “A union is our way of building power so executives can’t ignore us.”

Google has clashed with some employees in recent years over contracts with the military, a plan for a censored search engine in China, the different treatment of contract workers and a rich exit package for an executive ousted for alleged sexual harassment.

“We’ve always worked hard to create a supportive and rewarding workplace,” Kara Silverstein, director of people operations at Google, said in a statement. “Of course our employees have protected labor rights that we support. But as we’ve always done, we’ll continue engaging directly with all our employees.”

The new union drew support Monday from U. S. lawmakers including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts who wrote, “I’m in this fight with you all the way.”

The effort, a rare campaign within a major U. S. technology company, is supported by the Communications Workers of America, which has been pursuing tech- focused organizing through an initiative known as CODECWA. Googlers who join the Alphabet Workers Union will also be members of CWA Local 1400. Members will pay 1% of their total compensation in union dues, which will help fund organizing staff.

CWA said the new organization isn’t currently focused on securing formal recognition by Alphabet or collective

JEFF CHIU — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A group of Google engineers announced Monday they have formed a union, creating a rare foothold for the labor movement in the tech industry. The Alphabet Workers Union will collect dues, pay organizing staff and have an elected board of directors.