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Google DeepMind UK Staff Vote to Unionize
Workers at Google DeepMind's UK offices have voted to unionize, citing concerns over the company's deals with the U.S. military and Israel. The move involves requesting recognition of two unions and follows recent Pentagon confirmations of classified AI work. If successful, it could represent at least 1,000 staff in London.
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Google DeepMind workers at the company’s London headquarters voted to unionize, with 98 percent of participating UK-based staff supporting recognition of the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union as joint representatives. The vote covered roughly 1,000 employees who would be represented if recognition is granted.
DeepMind employs approximately 6,000 people globally and is headquartered in London’s King’s Cross.
The unionization effort follows Google’s confirmation of new classified military contracts with the Pentagon and its existing defense-related work. A Pentagon spokesperson stated that the Department of Defense had signed deals with Google and other AI labs for classified military work.
In a statement, Google’s head of defense and national security, Matt Walker, said the company had “proudly” worked with defense departments since Google’s earliest days.
A letter sent to management on Tuesday gives Google DeepMind 10 working days to voluntarily recognize the unions or enter mediation. If the company does not comply, organizers said they will begin legal proceedings to secure recognition. The letter was timed to coincide with the union vote.
The move comes days after more than 600 Google employees sent a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai urging him not to sign a new agreement with the Pentagon for classified operations. Employees have cited concerns that the company’s military contracts could lead to uses in autonomous weapons or mass surveillance.
Google has maintained long-standing defense partnerships, including a $2 billion cloud-services contract known as Project Nimbus signed with the Israeli government in 2021. In 2024, Google fired 50 employees after a sit-in protest related to the Nimbus deal.
The vessels’ operators have not been publicly identified by the U.S. government in related reporting, and no publicly released evidence has documented specific contested claims about certain end uses. [Affected country]’s foreign ministry has not commented as of the dates covered in reporting.
