Negotiations regarding unionization between Google DeepMind and its London employees hit a snag recently, with union representatives expressing dissatisfaction with the engagement from the company’s senior executives.
In May, DeepMind employees had formally requested that Google recognize the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union as their representatives—a request that was denied by the company, although they agreed to third-party facilitated negotiations.
The initial meeting took place this past Wednesday, involving union officers, DeepMind employees, a third-party arbitrator, and HR representatives from DeepMind. However, those advocating for unionization felt that the absence of senior leadership at this critical discussion suggested a lack of genuine commitment from the company. John Chadfield, a CWU officer present at the meeting, criticized the engagement as a “time-wasting exercise.”
DeepMind, on its side, maintained that no negotiations have stalled, stating they are in the process of identifying which employees the unions aim to represent and had agreed on subsequent steps.
During the meeting, a letter expressing support for unionization was read out, which alleged that employees have been silenced rather than engaged in productive conversations with management. The letter claimed that initiatives to stifle open dialogue included restructuring internal communication platforms and dismantling opportunities for staff to respond to company-wide messages about unionization, with claims of HR reprimanding those who attempted to discuss the matter.
An anonymous DeepMind employee noted that these tactics resembled common union-busting strategies. Nonetheless, DeepMind’s spokesperson reiterated their dedication to facilitating open dialogue through various channels outside formal negotiations.
The move to unionize at DeepMind arose after Alphabet, Google’s parent company, removed its pledge against the deployment of AI in military applications from its ethical guidelines in February 2025. Employee concerns regarding potential militarization of AI and the ethical implications have mirrored worries across the tech sector.
Since the announcement, numerous employees from tech firms like OpenAI and DeepMind have publicly voiced their disapproval of the militarization of AI developments. Notably, Google reportedly entered into an agreement that enables the Pentagon to leverage its AI technology for various governmental purposes, raising alarms and leading to protests from employees who signed letters against the deal.
The supporting efforts have seen similarities to past attempts to unionize within Google itself, leading to the formation of the Alphabet Workers Union in 2021, an entity that, while not formally recognized for collective bargaining, has achieved some bargaining successes for contract workers.
If the current negotiations fail to make headway, union representatives plan to appeal to an arbitration committee, demanding the recognition of the unions to continue the fight for employee rights. Chadfield emphasized the need for both parties to approach negotiations with a spirit of compromise, a sentiment that appears unreciprocated at this juncture.
