Google’s ‘raters’ are pushing for $15 an hour

Part-time employees at RaterLabs — an AI vendor whose only known client is Google — are campaigning to qualify for the $15 hourly minimum wage the tech giant promised to its “extended workforce” back in 2019.

Yahoo Financereported that the quality raters whose sole job is evaluating Google’s search and ad results for accuracy don’t qualify for sick leave, PTO or other benefits the company provides for its TVCs (temporary workers, vendors and independent contractors). Google increased base pay following critical reporting of its treatment of TVCs in 2018 — the same year it was revealed the majority of Google’s workforce was not directly employed by the company.

A number of RatersLabs employees believe the work they do is vital enough to Google that they should receive the higher pay and benefits of their peers. Christopher Colley, who has worked for the Google vendor since 2017, told Yahoo Finance that he only earns $10 an hour, and hasn’t qualified for a raise over the five years he’s worked at RaterLabs. Colley is also part of the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU-CWA), a subgroup of the Communications Workers of America focused on organizing full-time and part-time workers of Alphabet.

“The raters work from home, use their own devices, can work for multiple companies at a time, and do not have access to Google’s systems and/or badges,” a Google spokesperson told Engadget. “As noted on the policy page, the wages and benefits policy applies to Alphabet’s provisioned extended workforce (individuals with systems and/or badge access to Google).”

Among the hurdles workers need to jump in order to qualify for the pay bump afforded to some TVCs is a minimum 30-hour workweek. As AWU-CWA was quick to point out, RaterLabs contractors are capped at only 26 hours.

Employee accounts on RatersLabs’ Indeed profile describe low morale, low pay and an unclear feedback process. “Reviews are monthly, with one bad review potentially costing you the job […] Guidelines can change the week before the review and you can be ‘graded’ based on them despite doing the work way before,” wrote a former RatersLab employee in January 2022. “The job is very flexible, pay is mediocre, and you have no chance for advancement.”

This isn’t the first time that Google’s army of raters have spoken out about low pay, no opportunities for advancement and subpar working conditions. In fact, RatersLabs was formed by the CEO of Leapforce, a company that also hired raters for Google search and ad products. Back in 2017, Leapforce raters spoke out about chaotic working conditions, resulting in at least three contractors being fired, two of whom claimed their separations from the company were acts of retaliation. As Ars Technicanotes, a number of Leapforce workers filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board which were eventually resolved via settlement. Appen — which acquired Leapforce in May of 2017 — is also the parent company of RatersLabs.

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リンク 乗りものニュース 駅で落とし物を届けもらえた「ありがとうカード」話題 小田急＆東京メトロの取り組み | 乗りものニュース 駅窓口に落とし物を届けたところ、駅係員からもらったと話題の「ありがとう」カード。小田急電鉄と東京メトロによると、利用客に感謝の気持ちを伝えるときに配るとのことです。カードのデ…

NYC targets CEO Bobby Kotick in latest Activision Blizzard lawsuit

Activision Blizzard has been hit with another lawsuit, this time from New York City officials. The suit, which was first obtained by Axios, takes aim at CEO Bobby Kotick. It accuses him of being “unfit” to negotiate his company’s pending sale to Microsoft, citing his “personal responsibility and liability for Activision’s broken workplace.”

The suit was filed by the New York City Employees’ Retirement System and pension funds that represent police, teachers and firefighters. The plaintiffs, who own stock in Activision Blizzard, argue that the Microsoft deal allows “Kotick and his fellow directors a means to escape liability for their egregious breaches of fiduciary duty.”

Since last July, Activision Blizzard has been the target of multiple lawsuits. It has been accused of fostering a “frat boy” culture and some have made allegations of workplace harassment and discrimination. In March, a wrongful death suit was filed against the company. Activision Blizzard also said in a filing yesterday that it’s cooperating with a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation on “disclosures on employment matters and related issues.”

In November, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kotick was aware of many of the alleged instances of harassment and that he may have protected employees who were accused of misconduct. That report, and the alleged workplace problems, are said to have prompted the buyout. The companies announced the sale in January.

New York City claims the $68.7 billion Microsoft deal, which was valued at $95 per share, undervalues a company that was trading at close to that price before the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued it last summer and started a wave of litigation. The NYC plaintiffs are demanding access to various company documents, including those related to the pending takeover and details on the five other possible buyers that Activision mentioned in filings on sale talks.

Activision Blizzard shareholders last week overwhelmingly approved the Microsoft deal. The companies hope to close the merger by the end of June 2023, though they require approval from regulators in the US, UK, China, the European Union and some other markets. Should the sale go through, Kotick stands to make as much as $520 million.

Apple Store workers in Atlanta will hold union vote in June

Workers at the first US Apple Store to file for a union election will decide whether to unionize next month. According to an agreement obtained by The Verge, employees at Apple’s Cumberland Mall retail location in Atlanta will begin voting on June 2nd, with the ballot box open until June 4th. All approximately 100 regular full- and part-time staff at the store will be able to participate in the election.

Citing “a source familiar with the situation,” The Verge reports Apple wanted the vote held in July. That was a move the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the union that seeks to represent the employees at the Cumberland Mall location, reportedly opposed on account the later date would have afforded Apple more time to attempt to dissuade workers from unionizing. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment.

Apple hasn’t explicitly come out against its frontline workers organizing, but those involved in the union drive at the company’s Grand Central Terminal location in New York have accused Apple of employing “union-busting” tactics, including messaging that has tried to convince employees that unionization isn’t in their best interests.

“We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple,” the company said when news of the Grand Central Terminal drive first broke. “We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits for full time and part time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants and many other benefits.”

Among other concessions, workers at the Cumberland Mall location hope to push Apple to compensate them better, offer more opportunities for career advancement and build a safer workplace. “One of the biggest things that we’re fighting for is going to be for fair pay and a livable wage, because with Atlanta being such a huge city, it’s just getting more and more expensive to live here,” Elli Daniels, an employee at the store, told Engadget. “Everybody deserves the opportunity to be able to not worry about whether they can afford food or pay their bills. Everybody deserves to be able to afford to live in the city that they work in.”

Like the recent vote at Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, the Cumberland Mall election could have historic ramifications. If workers vote in favor of organizing with the CWA, it would become the first unionized Apple Store in the US. That’s an outcome that could inspire Apple workers at other retail locations. 

Apple reportedly hired a longtime Ford executive for its car project

Apple has hired a longtime Ford engineer and executive to work on its long-gestating car project, according to Bloomberg. Desi Ujkashevic had been with the automaker since 1991. Before leaving the company in March, Ujkashevic was Ford’s global director of automotive safety engineering.

She previously oversaw the global body engineering team, safety engineering for Ford of Europe and the global design technical operations division. In her early years at Ford, according to her LinkedIn profile, Ujkashevic held roles in vehicle engineering, testing and durability. She has also worked on Ford’s electric vehicle efforts and regulatory issues. In other words, she seems like exactly the kind of person you’d want to hire for an EV project.

Apple is said to have started work on an autonomous vehicle in 2015. However, those efforts have suffered several setbacks over the years, partly as a result of strategy and staffing changes. Doug Field, who was said to have led Project Titan, left Apple to rejoin Ford last September. However, the reported hire of Ujkashevic is another indication that Apple is still trying to build its own EV.

For what it’s worth, in a recent LinkedIn post, Ujkashevic said she was “excited to start my next adventure and I hope to continue to contribute to society and advancing technology with a purpose […] ultimately making a better world!”

The Morning After: Meta’s high-end VR headset described as ‘a laptop for the face’

The latest report on Meta’s VR ambitions has likened Project Cambria, its next headset beyond Quest series, to a “laptop for the face” or even a “Chromebook for the face.” Presumably with a rather different price tag.

A report from The Information suggests Meta will unveil its own VR operating system, which is based on Android. This will work with web-based tools and services, as well as some Quest apps. Technical specs are still unknown, but we can expect higher-res screens to make text easier to read — the aim could be to ensure the VR headset is usable in work situations.

We haven’t yet seen an entirely new VR device since the company rebranded, but all this suggests that, compared to the Rift and Quest devices, the use cases could be broader, or at least tap into some of that sweet enterprise segment. Companies are more likely to pay for cutting-edge VR and AR hardware — still Microsoft’s approach to the segment.

The headset will have outward-facing cameras for mixed reality functions, so it could tie together Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse ambitions in one fell swoop. For now, rumors and reports suggest Project Cambria will hit shelves around September, costing over $800.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Square Enix sells the studios behind Tomb Raider and Deus Ex

Embracer just picked up some major gaming IPs.

Swedish game company Embracer Group has just made a blockbuster deal to acquire Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal and Square Enix Montréal for what seems like a bargain $300 million. Those studios represent around 1,100 employees across eight global locations, with more than 230 games in development, 30 of those being AAA titles. Alongside this acquisition news, another Deus Ex revival is incoming — powered by Unreal Engine 5.

Crystal Dynamics has already said it’s developing a new Tomb Raider game.

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The best gifts for the new grads in your life

Work, rest and play.

TMA
Engadget

Whether your graduate is going after their first job or continuing their education, these gadgets can support their first professional steps — or simply help them relax during those early career challenges. We’ve even curated a guide for gifts that duck in at under $50.

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EU charges Apple over NFC payment restrictions on iOS devices

It’s part of the Commission’s antitrust probe into Apple’s payment practices.

The European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager confirmed the EU has formally charged Apple over its iOS payment features. This could result in a substantial fine if it is upheld. In a statement, Vestager said the Commission had “indications that Apple restricted third-party access to key technology necessary to develop rival mobile wallet solutions on Apple’s devices.”

The Commission opened a dual review into both Apple’s in-app and NFC payment systems in June 2020, noting the company’s choice could stifle competition and reduce consumer choice.

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Scientists ‘knit’ soft robotic wearables

These could eventually turn into assistive gloves for the disabled.

TMA
CSAIL

Designing and manufacturing soft robots is tricky. Now, scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have come up with a new process called PneuAct, which uses computers and a special knitting process to design and digitally fabricate the soft pneumatic actuators. These actuators have conductive yarn for sensing so they can essentially “feel” or respond to what they grab.

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英BP、ロシア撤退損失3兆円　ロスネフチ株の価値ゼロに（写真=AP）

日経の記事利用サービスについて 企業での記事共有や会議資料への転載・複製、注文印刷などをご希望の方は、リンク先をご覧ください。 詳しくはこちら 【ロンドン=篠崎健太】英石油大手BPは3日発表した2022年1～3月期決算で、ロシアからの事業撤退に伴う損失を、税引き前ベースで255億2000万ドル（約3兆3200億円）計上し…

Apple sues chip startup for alleged theft of trade secrets

Apple has accused a company of stealing its trade secrets. In a complaint filed Friday, the tech giant claims Rivos, a “stealth-mode” startup based out of Mountain View, California, led a recent “coordinated campaign” to poach employees from Apple’s chip design division.

According to Reuters, the first publication to report on the lawsuit, Apple alleges at least two former employees took gigabytes of confidential data with them to Rivos. Among the information those individuals allegedly stole are presentations that detail unreleased chip designs, reports Bloomberg.

“Apple has reason to believe that Rivos instructed at least some Apple employees to download and install apps for encrypted communications (e.g., the Signal app) before communicating with them further,” the company says in the complaint. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment.

Should the case move forward, it’s likely to draw a significant amount of attention, much like Waymo’s suit against Uber for stealing confidential information about its self-driving technology did in 2017. After years of litigation, that case ended with Uber agreeing to settle for $245 million, and with a court sentencing Anthony Levandowski, the engineer at the center of the dispute, to 18 months in prison before former President Donald Trump issued a pardon.

毛沢東や習近平も乗る「中国最高級車ブランド」が日本に上陸 | 中国ニュース拾い読み

中国を代表する老舗高級車ブランド「紅旗（ホンチー）」の日本販売が始まった。日本の第１号オーナーとなったのは、名古屋市在住の中国人起業家。彼は「日本人にも極上の乗り心地を体験してほしい」と語る。 毛沢東や習近平も乗車する高級車 「紅旗」は、毛沢東、鄧小平、江沢民、胡錦濤、習近平らが天安門前の軍事パレ…