In a long-running dispute between YouTube and its music contractors, employees have launched a strike to demand fair labor practices and benefits. The strikers, who are responsible for managing royalty rates and artist contracts, are calling out YouTube for its failure to provide adequate wages and job security as well as insufficient health benefits.
The strike was first announced in July when contractors published a collective statement saying they could not “silently accept the substandard labor practices” that YouTube allegedly uses. The workers, who are all employed by the online video sharing service, noted that they are “treated as second-class citizens and subject to unfair treatment.”
The strike has gained significant attention from artists, industry executives and YouTube, who launched a short-term contract agreement to temporarily avoid a shutdown of the popular video platform. In response to the strike, YouTube took action and promised to improve labor conditions for contractors. The company agreed to solve the problem by increasing wages and benefits, providing equity rights and creating a pathway to job security for the music contractors.
Despite this, the workers contend that the new deal does not go far enough. They allege that YouTube is still refusing to provide job security, which is the most important element of an employment contract, claiming that the new contract still fails to guarantee the “long-term security” they need.
The strike has received a wave of global attention, including from YouTube’s CEO Susan Wojcicki and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. They have not only acknowledged the problem, but have also noted the importance of treating contract workers better. As the online video service is under fire for its alleged unfair labor practices, the future of the strike remains unclear. YouTube and its contractors still need to reach an agreement that will satisfy both sides and guarantee fair labor practices.
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