Tech elite stages a Revolt of the Haves against employers

NEW YORK – Google employees who staged a global walkout Thursday are the most visible example of a surprising trend: highly paid engineers emerging from their comfortable bubbles to speak out.

Elite technology employees have been stirring and in some cases organizing for much of the past two years. It started with internal workplace meetings and message boards, then signed protest letters and ultimately in company walkouts.

These workers have demanded changes such as better handling of workplace sexual harassment and discrimination, corporate opposition to the Trump administration’s travel ban, and the rejection of government contracts they believe amount to misuse of the products they’re helping to build and sell.

Such a revolt would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, prior to the election of President Donald Trump.