unions FTW!
Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
141–150 of 632 posts
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#142Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#143Amazon's tactics in response to unionizing efforts been extremely revealing. Even if unionizing fails, I'm happy that it forced Amazon to show us all the level of contempt they have for their workforce.
Every corporation has contempt for its workforce, it's why labor unions are so necessary.
Amazon has particular contempt. It's not limited to the floor workers; engineers get punted if they look like they may be more short-term trouble than they're worth. Contrast with a company like Google, that goes out of its way to hire the best they can and then retain them under the belief that an engineer invested in pays dividends down the road.
Steve Yegge's accidentally-published blog post isn't the whole story, but it has a ring of truth to it.
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
So they were both reduced hours and beholden to their jobs with no time off?
When you’re paid minimum wage in the US, and you’re not permitted to perform a full-time job, you probably have to hold down multiple jobs; you probably also don’t get things like healthcare from any of them. Zero hours contracts in theory mean you can refuse work (at least that’s how it works in the U.K.), but obviously you’re going to be fired for doing so, so you’re essentially constantly on call for both/all your…
if you have multiple jobs, then you clearly have time to find another job.
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#145Detailed, 6 step instructions on how to open a ballot and mark no? Thanks, amazon. This is almost as scummy as asking the city to change traffic lights so union organizers have a harder time talking to workers in between shifts. https://www.al.com/business/2021/02/jefferson-county-now-say...
Also reference Amazon's "Do it without dues" site: https://www.doitwithoutdues.com/
HEY BHM1 DOERS, why pay almost $500 in dues? We’ve got you covered* with high wages, health care, vision, and dental benefits, as well as a safety committee and an appeals process. There’s so much MORE you can do for your career and your family without paying dues.
*Applies to regular full-time employees.
IF YOU’RE PAYING DUES… it will be RESTRICTIVE meaning it won’t be easy to be as helpful and social with each other. So be a DOER, stay friendly and get things done versus paying dues.
(sic)
---
Couldn't even include a stock-statement like "we got you covered" without a disclaimer.
"won’t be easy to be as helpful and social with each other" What the hell does that even mean? In a union you can't talk? As though you could be totally chatty before?
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#146wouldnt it be better to fix 'trail period' laws so thats possible
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
Every corporation has contempt for its workforce, it's why labor unions are so necessary.
It varies. Not because some corporations are moral, but because happy workers are a good long-term strategy and many corporations are stuck with rolling short-term-ism. They reward the top tier on a three-ish year cycle, so executives only need to make the numbers go up for three years before exiting with a higher paying job and compensation via stock sales. The US has a massive issue in general with rolling corporat…
>happy workers are a good long-term strategy
I always see this cited as a reason but it so rarely happens that it might as well be a Horatio Alger fable. It's not instructive or useful in our current reality and it would be like taking lessons from the workplace successes of Santa's elves.
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
If we argue that what is wrong about the situation is the 'balance of power'... would that mean then no employer should be able to make their case when it comes to such situation because the balance of power wouldn't be fair? That seems weird. And unions once established have their own balance of power, and that's not in favor of the individual.
That is weird. The literal purpose of a corporation in all its varieties, for profit, non-profit, co-op, S Corp, C Corp etc. is to pool the resources of its owners and serve their interests. Unions are just another type of corporation.
> Unions are just another type of corporation.
No, unions are not just another type of corporation. They are a very special type of corporation: One which is exempt from anti-trust laws.
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#149It's amazing how little HN readers understand about unions. A company is an organization that has some positive and some negative aspects. And believe it or not, a union is also an organization with some negative and positive aspects. The difference is, once you have a union in an organization its very hard to dislodge it no matter how dysfunctional it gets. I would suggest HN readers read about what UAW did in the a…
> The difference is, once you have a union in an organization its very hard to dislodge it no matter how dysfunctional it gets.
In comparison to a business? With a union I have some voting power. With a business I have zero power.
Re: Amazon Sends ‘Vote No’ Instructions to Unionizing Employees
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
Like some unions tell their members to vote for this or that party? I’m still waiting for the Teachers’ Union to endorse the Libertarian party one day soon -I’m sure it’s gonna happen.
Unions are at least nominally directly elected by their constituents and beholden to them, which is why they are protected when engaging in politics. If you think they do not represent them, then maybe the solution is to develop better union structures that are more democratic and representative. But by and large, teachers do not support the Libertarian party and instead favour the Democratic party, quite heavily in…
Agree with your points.
However, using that line of thinking people voluntarily join a company too.
Often to work for a company with union rep one HAS to join, whether one agrees or not, so it’s not entirely voluntary in a strict sense.
All this said, I do believe Amazon is treating their warehouse workers unfairly and they deserve pushback though I admit I do not favor bringing in a Union due to my past member experiences with them.