Jessica Guynn

USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — Google plans to put security guards for all of its Northern California offices on its payroll and part ways with the company that used to supply them.

Google will hire about 200 security guards at its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, San Francisco office and at YouTube in San Bruno, Calif., the company said.

The jobs come with the same benefits as other Google employees.

Google already brought its security operations personnel, who perform a different function than the guards, onto its staff.

"Building an in-house security team is something we are excited to do," Google spokeswoman Meghan Casserly said in a statement. "A year ago we insourced the Google security operations center and we are looking forward to making these valued positions both full- and part-time Google employees."

Security Industry Specialists, or SIS, is the outside contractor that employees Google security guards. Tom Seltz, co-president of SIS, declined to comment.

The shift comes as the growing use of outside contractors by major Silicon Valley companies has become increasingly controversial.

Companies from Facebook to Apple outsource service jobs such as janitors and shuttle bus drivers to outside contractors to lower costs.

Even though they work inside companies famous for showering workers with six-figure salaries, stock options and perks, many work for low pay and few, if any, benefits.

Studies show that the trend of outsourcing these positions has led to declining wages, eroding health and safety conditions and a lower standard of living for workers, most of whom are black and Hispanic.

Blacks and Hispanics account for a tiny fraction of the professional workforce at major Silicon Valley companies.

Labor unions have been protesting the treatment of Google security guards. The Service Employees International Union held a protest of SIS at Google headquarters in June.

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