In a battle over money, Silicon Valley's technology workers did not back down, demanding that a court not exclude email evidence from Steve Jobs and other top officials at the largest tech companies in the Bay Area. As a result, Apple and Google settled with the thousands of workers over ho-hire agreements and delivered a large settlement of cash.
Their demands came as a civil trial was set to begin in late May over compensation issues and the firing of individuals as arranged by CEO's and top brass from the world's largest tech companies.
The issue was one of great concern and had Silicon Valley watching to see how the court would rule in an issue largely seen as pitting the wealthiest against their serfs. This time, the wealthy backed down and avoided what many had said would have been public humiliation over emails between top leadership.
A document filed on April 17 asked the court to not forbid any evidence concerning Apple co-founder Steve Jobs at the upcoming trial over no-hire agreements. That refered to deals that the top tech companies, including Google and Apple, allegedly had with each other over the attempting to hire away individuals from each others' company -- and the ability for workers to gain more compensation for their efforts.
California state law has barred companies from having no-hire accords and the case should be a test of that ruling.
It comes as techies in Silicon Valley are crying foul over their payment and share plans, which they say are being reduced to ensure that the top officials at the company maximize profit margins and their pay even as salaries of the rank and file are reduced and benefits cut.
The case had developed based almost entirely on emails between companies' top figures, including those between Google's Eric Schmidt and Apple's Jobs, where the two had reportedly made deals to fire employees and recruiters who attempted to "steal" workers from each respective company. The no-hire agreements are seen by techies as a means of controlling pay scales and ensuring each company maintains employment packages for its workers.
Some 64,000 employees filed the class-action lawsuit against Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe Systems -- the filing began in 2011 -- and they had been seeking more than $3 billion in compensation. No reports on the final settlement have been made public.
None of the companies commented on the case ahead of the deal.
A book published in late 2011 by Walter Isaacson on the life of Steve Jobs has revealed that there was a "good" and "bad" version of Jobs, which including intimidation and bullying of employees.
"Manipulation, selfishness, or downright rudeness, we couldn't figure out the motivation behind his madness," a description of Jobs reads in the volume.
The employees were arguing that the companies' executive management conspired against workers over salaries, benefits and the ability to freely seek employment at another company. The case had leveled accusations against Schmidt, Jobs and others over their dealings with each other vis-à-vis workers and their rights.
Many viewed the case as a potential watershed moment where, if the workers were successful in their litigation, it would have given them renewed power in an industry quickly becoming dominated by the CEOs and other executive officials.
