98% of Google DeepMind UK Employees Vote for Unionization

U.S. military announced last week. The vote, supported by 98 percent of participants, focused on the company's AI military contracts, including work with the Pentagon and Israel.

Staffers at the London headquarters requested recognition of the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union as joint representatives of the lab’s UK-based staff. The unionization move was prompted by Google’s recent deal with the Pentagon, confirmed days before the vote, and its ongoing work with Israel.

The Pentagon stated it had signed deals with Google and other AI labs for classified military work.

Employees expressed worries that these agreements could lead to uses in autonomous weapons or mass surveillance. A letter to management, sent on Tuesday, gives Google DeepMind 10 working days to voluntarily recognize the Communication Workers Union and Unite, or pursue mediation. If management does not comply within that period, organizers will launch legal proceedings to gain recognition.

The letter was slated to go to management on Tuesday, aligning with the vote at the King’s Cross headquarters. 2 billion deal Google signed in 2021 to supply the Israeli government with cloud services, known as Project Nimbus. In 2024, Google fired 50 employees following a sit-in protest over the Nimbus deal.

At least 1,000 staff tied to DeepMind’s London office would be represented if the unionization succeeds. The vote comes days after more than 600 Google employees urged CEO Sundar Pichai not to sign an agreement with the Pentagon for classified operations. S.

Department of Defense. Walker stated the company had 'proudly' worked with defense departments since Google’s earliest days. DeepMind has roughly 6,000 employees globally and is headquartered in London’s King’s Cross.