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Google cuts team of contractors who went on strike
(www.theverge.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
A 2023 ruling by the NLRB clarified that contractors have the right to unionize
Sure, but wouldn't any union busting company not renew the contract
This is the illegal part. Firing them because they unionized.
It's almost certain they can prove Google still needs these positions and the firing was motivated by this corrupt motive, not a business decision.
Google isn't their employer, it's the contracting company. The contract not being renewed is inherently a business decision between two busines entities, which is probably going to result in the contracting company laying off the workers but that can't be directly tied to Google because...Google didn't hire these people, they hired a company that happened to employ them.
Is it a loophole? Possibly, depending on the structure of the two businesses in question...but it's very unlikely to be suddenly declared illegal, it's been common practice in sectors for a while for basically that reason. Contractors get the shit end of the deal and that needs to be addressed directly instead of pretending they're already protected by laws.