Raters work on Google's two most vital products — Search and ads. In 2022, Google made more than $224 billion in revenue from Search and advertising, accounting for more than 79 percent of its total revenue. For comparison, that's more than the entire gross domestic product of Greece.
"We support billions of dollars of revenue," Google rater Ed Stackhouse told NPR. "And we get paid less than your average fast food worker."
Google raters who work for Appen make between $14 and $14.50 an hour and under company policy can't work more than 29 hours a week. Raters who spoke with NPR said they have health conditions or family needs that require them to work from home and they appreciate they can do that. But, since they can't work more than 29 hours a week, they're not eligible for benefits like health care and sick leave.
In May, Alphabet Workers Union published an open letter to Raghavan demanding the company raise pay for raters. Then, in January of this year, raters who work for Appen got their first-ever raise to $14 or $14.50 an hour, based on seniority. Previously, workers made roughly $10 to $13 an hour.
After the February rally, Appen raters were told they'd get another raise by the end of this year that would increase their pay to $15 an hour. Then, a couple weeks later, Appen sent them an email saying the hours they work could be extended from the previous maximum of 26 hours per week to what raters have now—29 hours per week. Raters can work their own hours, but it can be no more than 29 per week.
"So, the magic 30 hours a week is what we can't go past," Partain said.