The Google Walkout for Real Change group tweeted out their protest against the news of ‘Google confirming that it paid $135 million as exit packages to the two top execs accused of sexual assault, on Twitter, earlier this week. The group castigated the ‘multi-million dollar payouts’ and asked people to use the hashtag #GooglePayoutsForAll to demonstrate different and better ways this obscenely large amount of ‘hush money’ could have been used.
$135M could insure ALL of Google's TVCs (temps, vendors, and contractors) for 7.5 months. #GooglePayoutsForAll
— Google Walkout For Real Change (@GoogleWalkout) March 12, 2019
The news of Google paying its senior execs, namely, Amit Singhal (former Senior VP of Google search) and Andy Rubin (creator of Android) high exit packages was first highlighted in a report by the New York Times, last October. As per the report, Google paid $90 million to Rubin and $15 million to Singhal. A lawsuit filed by James Martin, an Alphabet shareholder, on Monday this week, further confirmed this news. The lawsuit states that this decision taken by directors of Alphabet caused significant financial harm to the company apart from deteriorating its reputation, goodwill, and market capitalization.
Meredith Whittaker, one of the early organizers of the Google Walkout in November last month tweeted, “$135 million could fix Flint’s water crisis and still have $80 million left.” Vicki Tardif, another Googler summed up the sentiments in her tweet, “$135M is 1.35 times what Google.org gave out in grants in 2016.” An ACLU researcher pointed out that $135M could have in addition to feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and pay off some student loans, It could also support local journalism killed by online ads.
The public support to the call for protest using the hashtag #GooglePayoutsForAll has been awe-inspiring. Some shared their stories of injustice in cases of sexual assault, some condemned Google for its handling of sexual misconduct, while others put the amount of money Google wasted on these execs into a larger perspective.
Better ways Google could have used $135 million it wasted on execs payouts, according to Twitter
Invest in people to reduce structural inequities in the company
- $135M could have been paid to the actual victims who faced harassment and sexual assault.
Me: Google paid $45M in another sexual harassment case. Total known payout so far is $135M.
Mum: So the women who were harassed get the money, right?
Me: No, the money goes to the harassers.
Mum: ?????????#GooglePayoutsForAll— Farzaneh (@xzzzxxzx) March 13, 2019
- Google could have used the money to fix the wage and level gap for women of color within the company.
Kick your week off with #GooglePayoutsForAll! What would YOU do with the $135 million Google used to reward sexual harassers? Fixing the wage (AND LEVEL) gap for women of color would be a great start 🌈 https://t.co/TAMc9S8FJJ
— Stephanie Parker (@sparker2) March 12, 2019
- $135 million could be used to adjust the 16% median pay gap of the 1240 women working in Google’s UK offices
For $135M, Google could adjust the 16% median pay gap of the 1240 women working in its UK offices, correcting the disparity reported in 2017 (https://t.co/QW2kh1RyGZ)… for the next 4 years, the same as the timeline for Rubin's payout. #GooglePayoutsForAll https://t.co/kwIAFXPcQb
— Christopher Schmidt (@crschmidt) March 13, 2019
- $135M could have been used by Google for TVC benefits. It could also be used to provide rigorous training to the Google employees on what impact misinformation within the company can have on women and other marginalized groups.
I would give $135M to (1) fund non-profits that support women from violence, (2) TVC benefits and (3) rigorous training for Google eng on real life impact of misinformation on women and other marginalized groups. #GooglePayoutsForAll https://t.co/NhvDqdga3E
— Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica) March 12, 2019
- For $135M, Google could have paid the 114 creators featured in its annual “YouTube Rewind” who are otherwise unpaid for their time and participation.
For $135M, Google could have paid every one of the 114 creators who were featured in its annual "YouTube Rewind" — at least some of whom are unpaid for their time and participation — an annual US household salary … for the next 20 years. #GooglePayoutsForAll https://t.co/9Wb8OVyYFC
— Christopher Schmidt (@crschmidt) March 13, 2019
Improve communities by supporting social causes
- Google could have paid $135M to RAINN, a largest American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization, covering its expenses for the next 18 years.
#GooglePayoutsForAll $135M, the total sum Google paid two known sexual harassers on their way out the door, could instead have paid @RAINN's expenses for the next nearly 18 years.
— Google Walkout For Real Change (@GoogleWalkout) March 12, 2019
- For funding 1800 school psychologists for 1 year in public schools
If there were #GooglePayoutsForAll, $135M could fund 1800 school psychologists for 1 year in our public schools (or 142 for a student's entire K-12 education). (Based on a $73k salary, which might be a little above average.) https://t.co/kywYdYY3WU
— Mark Fickett (@markfickett) March 13, 2019
- To build real, affordable housing solutions in collaboration with London Breed, SFGOV, and other Bay Area officials
Google could work with @LondonBreed, @sfgov, and other Bay Area officials and government bodies to create real, affordable housing solutions instead of paying $135 million payouts to gross men who sexually assault women. It's disgusting. #GooglePayoutsForAll
— Jillian Puente (@jillianpuente) March 13, 2019
- $135M could provide insulin for nearly 10,000 people with Type 1 diabetes in the US
$135M could provide insulin for nearly 10,000 people with Type 1 diabetes in the US. #GooglePayoutsForAll
— Google Walkout For Real Change (@GoogleWalkout) March 12, 2019
- To pay for the first year for 1,000 people with stage IV breast cancer
$135M could pay for the first year after diagnosis treatment costs of 1,000 people with stage IV breast cancer (or 1,050 people with stage III, or 1,600 people with stage II or stage I, or 2,250 people with stage 0.) #GooglePayoutsForAll
— Google Walkout For Real Change (@GoogleWalkout) March 13, 2019
Be a responsible corporate citizen
- To fund approximately 5300 low-cost electric vehicles for Google staff, and saving around 25300 metric tons of carbon dioxide from vehicle emissions per year.
$135M could fund approximately 5300 low-cost electric vehicles for Google staff, resulting in a savings of around 25300 metric tons of carbon dioxide from vehicle emissions per year. #GooglePayoutsForAll https://t.co/rc3hxmzUHi
— Christopher Schmidt (@crschmidt) March 13, 2019
- Providing free Google Fiber internet to 225,000 homes for a year
If there were #GooglePayoutsForAll, $135M could provide free Google Fiber internet to 225,000 homes for a year (about 1.5x the households in Atlanta).
— Mark Fickett (@markfickett) March 13, 2019
- To give $5/hr raise to 12,980 service workers at Silicon Valley tech campuses
$135 million could give a $5/hr raise to 12,980 service workers at Silicon Valley tech campuses, so they wouldn't have to choose each month between paying the rent or buying food. #GooglePayoutsForAll
— Louise Auerhahn 🏳️🌈 (@LAuerhahn) March 12, 2019
- $135M could have been used for the construction of affordable homes, protecting 1,100 low-income families in San Jose from coming rent hikes of Google’s planned mega-campus.
$135M could have subsidized construction of affordable homes protecting 1,100 low income families in San Jose from coming rent hikes of Google’s planned mega-campus. Instead they paid off abusers. #GooglePayoutsForAll https://t.co/mdpCLt5Pt3
— Jeffrey Buchanan (@JRBinSV) March 12, 2019
#GooglePayoutsForAll: Another initiative to promote awareness of structural inequities in tech
The core idea behind launching #GooglePayoutsForAll on Twitter by the Google walkout group was to promote awareness among people regarding the real issues within the company. It urged people to discuss how Google is failing at maintaining the ‘open culture’ that it promises to the outside world. It also highlights how mottos such as “Don’t be Evil” and “Do the right thing” that Google stood by only make for pretty wall decor and there’s still a long way to go to see those ideals in action.
The group gained its name when more than 20,000 Google employees along with vendors, and contractors, temps, organized Google “walkout for real change” and walked out of their offices in November 2018. The walkout was a protest against the hushed and unfair handling of sexual misconduct within Google. Ever since then, Googlers have been consistently taking initiatives to bring more transparency, accountability, and fairness within the company.
For instance, the team launched an industry-wide awareness campaign to fight against forced arbitration in January, where they shared information about arbitration on their Twitter and Instagram accounts throughout the day. The campaign was a success as Google finally ended its forced arbitration policy which goes into effect this month for all the employees (including contractors, temps, vendors) and for all kinds of discrimination. Also, House and Senate members in the US have proposed a bipartisan bill to prohibit companies from using forced arbitration clauses, last month.
Although many found the #GooglePayoutsForAll idea praiseworthy, some believe this initiative doesn’t put any real pressure on Google to bring about a real change within the company.
The kicker is the #GooglePayoutsForAll means nothing. Americans don't GIVE A SHIT.
Until you turn your moral outrage into actionable change, these companies don't care. @Google knows they have each and every person by the balls. What's their incentive to act ethically?
— Stephanie Marie (@Jeffanie16) March 12, 2019
@Google is evil. They've BEEN evil. They agreed to build AI to murder people. They forced phone manufactures to pre-install their apps. They built a government-sanctioned censored internet for China. They exposed 500,000 users' info and tried to hide it.
— Stephanie Marie (@Jeffanie16) March 12, 2019
So while activism and knowledge are great, @Google doesn't give a solitary chocolate-covered flying fuck about your outrage. Until we use our power as consumers and spend ethically, nothing will change.
Money is the only thing that matters. The only fucking thing.
— Stephanie Marie (@Jeffanie16) March 12, 2019
Now, we don’t necessarily disagree with this opinion, however, the initiative can’t be completely disregarded as it managed to make people who’d otherwise hesitate to open up talk extensively regarding the real issues within the company. As Liz Fong-Jones puts it, “Strikes and walkouts are more sustainable long-term than letting Google drive each organizer out one by one. But yes, people *are* taking action in addition to speaking up. And speaking up is a bold step in companies where workers haven’t spoken up before”.
The Google Walkout group have not yet announced what they intend to do next following this digital protest. However, the group has been organizing meetups such as the one earlier this month on March 6th where it invited the tech contract workers for discussion about building solidarity to make work better for everyone.
We are only seeing the beginning of a powerful worker movement take shape in Silicon Valley.