Google employees to walk out to protest treatment of women

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of Google engineers and other workers are expected to walk off the job Thursday morning to protest the internet company’s lenient treatment of executives accused of sexual misconduct.

It is the latest expression of a backlash against men’s exploitation of female subordinates in a business, entertainment and politics. In Silicon Valley, women also are becoming fed up with the male-dominated composition of the technology industry’s workforce — a glaring imbalance that critics say fosters unsavory behavior akin to a college fraternity house.


The Google protest, billed “Walkout For Real Change,” is unfolding a week after a New York Times story detailed allegations of sexual misconduct about creator of its Android software, Andy Rubin. The report said Rubin received a $90 million severance package in 2014 even though Google concluded the sexual misconduct allegations against him were credible.

Rubin derided the Times story article as inaccurate and denied the allegations in a tweet.

The same story also disclosed allegations of sexual misconduct of other executives, including Richard DeVaul, a director at the same Google-affiliated lab that created far-flung projects such as self-driving cars and internet-beaming balloons. DeVaul had remained at the “X” lab after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced about him a few years ago, but he resigned Tuesday without severance, Google confirmed Wednesday.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai apologized for the company’s “past actions” in an email sent to employees Tuesday. “I understand the anger and disappointment that many of you feel,” Pichai wrote. “I feel it as well, and I am fully committed to making progress on an issue that has persisted for far too long in our society. and, yes, here at Google, too.”

The email didn’t mention the reported incidents involving Rubin, DeVaul or anyone else, but Pichai didn’t dispute anything in the Times story.


In an email last week, Pichai and Eileen Naughton, Google’s executive in charge of personnel issues, sought to reassure workers that the company had cracked down on sexual misconduct since Rubin’s departure four years ago.

Among other things, Pichai and Naughton disclosed that Google had fired 48 employees , including 13 senior managers, for “sexual harassment” in recent years without giving any of them severance packages.

But Thursday’s workout could signal that a significant number of the 94,000 employees working for Google and its corporate parent Alphabet Inc. remained unconvinced the company is doing enough to adhere to Alphabet’s own edict urging all employees to “do the right thing .”

A Silicon Valley congresswoman tweeted her support of the Google walkout using the “metoo” hashtag that has become a battle cry for women fighting sexual misconduct. “Why do they think it’s OK to reward perpetrators & further violate victims?” asked Rep. Jackie Speier, who represents an affluent district where many of Google’s employees live. /ee

source: technology.inquirer.net

CBS’ Julie Chen leaves daytime’s ‘The Talk’ in taped message

NEW YORK — Julie Chen announced Tuesday that she was leaving the cast of the CBS daytime show “The Talk” a week after her husband, CBS Corp. boss Leslie Moonves, was ousted from the company due to sexual misconduct allegations.

Chen hadn’t appeared on the show during its season-opening week last week. She wasn’t on the set Tuesday, either, making her announcement via a taped message from the set of “Big Brother,” the prime-time CBS show that she also hosts.


She made no mention of the case involving Moonves. On one episode of “Big Brother” last week, she pointedly signed off as “Julie Chen Moonves,” when she usually doesn’t use her married name professionally.

“Right now, I need to spend more time at home with my husband and my son,” she said.



FILE – In this June 16, 2014 file photo, Les Moonves, right, president and CEO of CBS Corporation, and his wife Julie Chen pose together at the premiere of the CBS science fiction television series “Extant” in Los Angeles. Chen returned to television with an unusual sign-off days after her husband, Les Moonves, resigned as CBS CEO following sexual misconduct allegations. The 48-year-old ended Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 “Big Brother” broadcast by saying, “From outside the ‘Big Brother’ house, I’m Julie Chen Moonves. Good night.” Usually, she just says “Julie Chen.” Image: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File

NEW YORK — Julie Chen announced Tuesday that she was leaving the cast of the CBS daytime show “The Talk” a week after her husband, CBS Corp. boss Leslie Moonves, was ousted from the company due to sexual misconduct allegations.

Chen hadn’t appeared on the show during its season-opening week last week. She wasn’t on the set Tuesday, either, making her announcement via a taped message from the set of “Big Brother,” the prime-time CBS show that she also hosts.

She made no mention of the case involving Moonves. On one episode of “Big Brother” last week, she pointedly signed off as “Julie Chen Moonves,” when she usually doesn’t use her married name professionally.

“Right now, I need to spend more time at home with my husband and my son,” she said.


She’s been with the show since its inception nine years ago, along with co-hosts Sara Gilbert and Sharon Osbourne.

Chen called the trio “The Three Musketeers” in her goodbye message, played at the end of Tuesday’s episode.

Chen appeared to fight back tears when thanking crew members, but quickly gathered her composure.

“I know this show and the sisterhood it stands for will continue on for many, many more years to come,” she said.


She appeared to endorse “Dancing With the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba as a successor. Inaba was filling in for Chen behind the show’s desk on Tuesday. Chen was effectively the moderator of “The Talk,” steering the show’s conversation.

“The Talk” began strongly against “The View,” the ABC show it is clearly modeled after, and even eclipsed its rival in the ratings four years ago. Since then, “The View” righted itself and has taken over first place.

It’s the second traumatic television exit that Gilbert has endured this year. The actress who’s in the “Roseanne” reboot also saw Roseanne Barr fired from that show for an offensive tweet.

“We love you, Julie,” Gilbert said after the message aired. MKH

source: entertainment.inquirer.net