Contract Workers and Unionization As Google implemented the policy changes stemming from the walkout, employees began agitating for further systemic change - this time for improved status of Google's contract workers. Contract Workers at Google By March 2019, Google's workforce consisted of more temporary, vendor, and contract workers (TVCs) than full-time employees (121,000 versus 102,000, respectively). 130 While TVCs often worked at Google offices, used Google email accounts, and represented Google at external events, Google did not consider them employees.131 Most TVCs were employed by third-party staffing agencies, who provided Google with a pipeline of contract labor. 132 OnContracting, a tech staffing agency, estimated that a temporary tech worker in the United States cost $100,000 less on average than a permanent employee. 135 Not only did TVCs earn substantially lower salaries than full-time workers, but they were also excluded from some of the benefits and company perks enjoyed by salaried employees. 134 Google did not permit TVCs to attend the weekly TGIF meetings or other company-wide meetings and social events, and had strict policies regarding whether TVCs could receive company merchandise. 135 More importantly, former TVCs expressed frustration with a lack of upward mobility within Google, indicating that they accepted temporary positions under the impression that they would eventually be hired in a full-time capacity. 136 Google leadership denied using TVCs as a cost-cutting tactic, claiming that they relied on TVCs to meet a growing need for specialized labor. 137 In April 2019, Google announced that all TVCs would receive improved benefits, such as sick days and a guaranteed minimum wage of $15 per hour, by January 2022.138 However, public policymakers