The more I think about this the less I understand what the employees were trying to accomplish. Let's say that somehow they somehow get the government (whichever level of it) to force Google to sit at the table with them.

The union states their terms. Google just says 'no'.

"Uh.. then we'll all quit!"

"ok"

I guess they could go on a strike so Google would still be on the hook for paying them? A strike has to be disruptive to the company to have any effect though... they'd all just be made redundant and let go anyway.

Seems to me like they didn't really have a viable end game.