Faq

General FAQ

Google Japan Union

  1. What is Google Japan Union?

Google Japan Union is a worker union that is open to any workers of Google in Japan. This union is formed by Googlers for Googlers to protect our rights to collectively bargain with the company. Currently, we are a branch of Tokyo Managers Union (TMU), which is an amalgamation union that has branches in other companies in Japan. We chose TMU because of their experience dealing with similar international tech companies, including Apple, Amazon, and Indeed, as well as their experience fighting for the rights of international and domestic workers in Japan.

  1. Why should I join a union?

Google is a big company that has a lot of resources. It is not easy to fight for your rights by yourself against the company. By joining a union, we can all pool our resources to protect each others. Unions provide legal protections and experience to their members, and these benefits are particularly helpful during layoffs as outlined above.

  1. Who runs the union?

Google Japan Union is a democratic organization that is run by its members – Googlers. Right now, we are still finalizing our bylaws, but officers are elected in a General Meeting by all members. We are also assisted by experience members from TMU in our operation.

Union Membership

  1. Are there any limitations on who can join a union?

Anyone who is working for Google Japan and that Google has responsibilities for can join. Not only FTEs, but TVCs are welcome to join.

  1. Can the company fire me for joining the union?

Japanese Labor Law prohibits harassment and discrimination against anyone for their union activity. If an employer does this, the union can file an Unfair Labor Practice case to the Labor Comission.

  1. Do I have to disclose my union membership to the company?

No, some of the union members have not disclosed their membership to the company for their own reasons. However, there is a downside for this: if you suspect that you have been targeted by the company because of your union activity, but has not officially declare yourself as a member of a union, the company can pretend that they don’t know that you are a member.

  1. Is it too late for me to join the union if I have been offered severance package/notified that I am going to be laid off?

No, you can still join the union even if you have been offered severance package.

  1. How much does it cost to join the union?

There is an admission fee of 10,000 yen that you have to pay to join the union. The union collects 5,000 yen of monthly due for 14 months per year (2 months dues are collected in July and December). The first month due is collected with your registration. From the following month, you will be required to pay membership fees by direct debit at a bank or postal savings account

  1. How do I join the union?

As we are only starting, right now our registration process must be done in the TMU office (map). Please call ahead or fill in this contact form. The union also sets up group info session for people who are interested in joining regularly, any info will be posted in our Twitter. When registering, please bring the following:

  • ¥15,000 for the sign up fee (you will get a receipt).

  • Hanko (if you use one; if not, you can just write your signature) for the bank transfer form for future monthly dues.

Please note that TMU staff speaks mostly Japanese, so if you need English translation and don’t have your own translator, it’s better to join a group info session where there will be volunteer translating.

Collective bargaining

  1. What will the union negotiate for me?

First of all, the union will make sure that all of your legal rights are protected. For example, in case of a lay off, the union will negotiate to ensure that you are not being pressured by the company to accept a severance package. Aside from your legal rights, the union will also negotiate on issues members deemed important, such as working condition, salary increase, etc.

  1. Can you give me an example of cases where a union protect its member with collective bargaining?

Sure! Please take a look at the case in J&J Japan in these articles [ 1, 2] that was represented by TMU. To summarize:

  • On 2022-11-11, J&J announce that they are doing a lay off by closing several positions. However, there was no details about how many and which positions will be closed, or why they were closing that position.

  • J&J stated that the people in the potential lay off list have to answer the lay off proposal by 2022-12-15. If they agree with “voluntary resignation”, their contract will be terminated by 2023-03-21. No enhanced severance package was offered.

  • On 2022-12-07, some impacted employees formed the J&J branch of TMU to fight back.

  • On 2022-12-14, the union submitted a collective bargaining request to the company.

  • On 2023-01-11, the first collective bargaining session was held. On the union side, there were 13 J&J branch members and 1 TMU member. On the company side, there were 3 J&J HRBP and 2 lawyers.

  • The company officially responded that the union members who don’t accept the voluntary resignation plan will still be employed by J&J and that the company will find them positions. However, the company didn’t officially answer why they were doing the lay off, what measures had been taken to prevent that, and what is the selection criteria. They claimed that “because no union member is actually being laid off, they don’t need to explain to the union on the session.

  • As of right now, the union is continuing to keep an eye on the company to avoid retaliation.