Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#11

Post by falcolas » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:16 PM UTC

maxehmookau wrote: post #3

Ugh, this is disgusting and so patronising. Edit: Also, why are "union avoidance consultants" a thing? The US needs to fix its culture around unions. That's absolutely wild.

Why pay your employees when you can pay a consultant to show how to keep your employee costs low?

/s

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#12

Post by duxup » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:16 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #9

duxup wrote: post #8

Call me crazy but I think the employer should get to make their case too.

"As a trillion dollar company we can't afford better working conditions and pay for you"? The only reason Amazon raised their fulfillment pay was because Bernie Sanders shamed them into it [1]. [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=amazon+bernie+sanders+pay

I don't expect people to agree with their case, but they should get to make it.

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#13

Post by colejohnson66 » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:17 PM UTC

duxup wrote: post #8

Call me crazy but I think the employer should get to make their case too.

They have a right to. They just can’t stop people from doing certain things. The purpose of unionizing is to say “this company has been treating us unfairly and we’re powerless to stop it. But together we could.” If Amazon was treating its employees fairly, they’d be less inclined to unionize.

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#14

Post by AlwaysRock » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:19 PM UTC

maxehmookau wrote: post #3

Ugh, this is disgusting and so patronising. Edit: Also, why are "union avoidance consultants" a thing? The US needs to fix its culture around unions. That's absolutely wild.

Unions are so unpopular even with people that in theory support unions. Look at the normal, non in power, peoples response to unions at any mid/large tech company.

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#15

Post by staticman2 » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:21 PM UTC

duxup wrote: post #8

Call me crazy but I think the employer should get to make their case too.

I mean you either believe in morality or you don't.

If you feel Amazon management isn't moral, they should repent and change their behavior, not "make their case."

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#16

Post by Grimm1 » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:21 PM UTC

Zealotux wrote: post #10

From a non-US point of view, this whole anti-union strategy from Amazon is somehow hilarious to witness on top of being sad. This kind of propaganda feels like its coming from another age, or dimension.

Right out of the 1900's in fact, gilded age part 2: technologic boogaloo.

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#17

Post by phone8675309 » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:21 PM UTC

maxehmookau wrote: post #3

Ugh, this is disgusting and so patronising. Edit: Also, why are "union avoidance consultants" a thing? The US needs to fix its culture around unions. That's absolutely wild.

Union Avoidance Consultants, historically, have been Pinkertons with machine guns that would not hesitate to gun down union leaders, so, if anything, this is a soft touch approach.

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#18

Post by phone8675309 » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:22 PM UTC

falcolas wrote: post #11

maxehmookau wrote: post #3

Ugh, this is disgusting and so patronising. Edit: Also, why are "union avoidance consultants" a thing? The US needs to fix its culture around unions. That's absolutely wild.

Why pay your employees when you can pay a consultant to show how to keep your employee costs low? /s

IF your company thinks spending $X on keeping you from unionizing is worth it then the benefit to you is at least ($X+1)/$num_workers to unionize.

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#19

Post by duxup » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:22 PM UTC

staticman2 wrote: post #15

duxup wrote: post #8

Call me crazy but I think the employer should get to make their case too.

I mean you either believe in morality or you don't. If you feel Amazon management isn't moral, they should repent and change their behavior, not "make their case."

I don't think I understand what you're saying.

Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees

#20

Post by toomuchtodo » Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 3:23 PM UTC

duxup wrote: post #12

toomuchtodo wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"As a trillion dollar company we can't afford better working conditions and pay for you"? The only reason Amazon raised their fulfillment pay was because Bernie Sanders shamed them into it [1]. [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=amazon+bernie+sanders+pay

I don't expect people to agree with their case, but they should get to make it.

By making any case other than robust worker rights and fair compensation, they have demonstrated their culture and priorities as a corporation. But, by all means, I agree that one shouldn't stop their enemy when they're pointing a gun at their feet (edit: to clarify, this implies Amazon is making a strategic failure by fighting unionization efforts, at it reflects poorly on them).