"With these firings, Google is ramping up its illegal retaliation against workers engaging in protected organizing,"
Did these 4 google employees engage in the protest?
If their conducts (e.g. accessing other employees' calendars and sharing information about their whereabouts with outside sources) violate the company policy, then they should be let go independent of their involvement in the protest.
There are always people better than you in this world no matter you've a PhD or not but you can always find a niche market and grow your expertise there.
Your friends maybe waiting for your call. Be proactive.