Google DeepMind unionization talks stall after senior management skips meeting

Talks between Google DeepMind and its London-based employees over union recognition hit a rocky start this week, leaving union advocates frustrated. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite the Union were asked to represent workers in May, but Google denied the request. The company did agree to third-party arbitration, and an initial meeting was held Wednesday. Union officers, DeepMind employees pushing for unionization, the third-party arbitrator, and DeepMind HR representatives attended — but no senior management figures were present. John Chadfield of CWU called the absence a “leading indicator that a company isn’t engaging in good faith” and a “time-wasting exercise.” DeepMind spokesperson Al Verney denied talks have stalled, stating the first step was defining whom the unions want to represent and that “appropriate representatives” were there.

During the meeting, a DeepMind employee read a prepared letter alleging that Google has attempted to “quash open dialogue” and crack down on dissent by shutting down internal chat channels and reprimanding staff for responding to company-wide communications about unionization. The reader was interrupted twice by HR representatives, according to multiple sources. One anonymous employee called it “well-established union-busting techniques.” The unionization effort gained momentum after Alphabet removed its AI ethics commitment against weapons and surveillance in February 2025, leading to employee concerns over military use of AI. This followed reports of Google making AI deals with the Pentagon for “any lawful government purpose,” prompting internal protests and industry-wide open letters.