Pretty shameful for the programmers who implemented this.
Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
41–50 of 476 posts
Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#42Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#43Pretty shameful for the programmers who implemented this.
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Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#44Whatever the corporate equivalent is of a late stage authoritarian dictatorship.
I believe it's just "corporation". Have you ever worked for a company that was run democratically? I've worked at good and bad places, but ultimately the orders came from the top. I don't think Amazon is very unique in their governance and attitude towards their workers, they're just more competent than most at execution.
Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#45Pretty shameful for the programmers who implemented this.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was sold to programmers as a "dynamic block list" so they could respond to the changing landscape of slurs, and then execs decided to use that functionality to add these other words.
Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#46Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#47It sounds like its an internal chat app, presumably meant for business. If people were openly talking about "slave labor" and "vaccine" on any public company slack channels, I would think they'd shut it down at most organizations. I don't think you're allowed to use company time to organize. I don't think its unreasonable to make people work when they're on the clock and remove distractions. Many are used to comforta…
I agree with that but I think including "pay raise" is a step too far. Employees have the right to discuss pay, via the NRLA. That is not inherently politically loaded language despite Amazon trying to make it so.
It’s so stupid too. “Hey buddy what was you p4y ra1$e?”
Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#48Pretty shameful for the programmers who implemented this.
No programmers implemented this yet.
> a planned internal messaging app
> “This particular program has not been approved yet and may change significantly or even never launch at all.”
> “If it does launch at some point down the road,” said the Amazon spokesperson, “there are no plans for many of the words you’re calling out to be screened. The only kinds of words that may be screened are ones that are offensive or harassing, which is intended to protect our team.”
Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#49> The major goal of the program, Amazon’s head of worldwide consumer business, Dave Clark, said, was to reduce employee attrition by fostering happiness among workers — and also productivity. Shout-Outs would be part of a gamified rewards system in which employees are awarded virtual stars and badges for activities that “add direct business value,” documents state. At the meeting, Clark remarked that “some people are insane star collectors.”
Truly insane, there is nothing stranger (or more dystopian) than fiction after all. Rather than fix the system of working their employees to death (literally in the case of the tornado) or improving their conditions, Amazon tries to use virtual gold stars (not even physical stickers like kindergarten) as a band-aid. That list of banned words is right out of 1984 (as cliché as it is to reference at this point): ethics, fairness, freedom.
I cannot imagine anyone here seriously defending this unless you’re just looking to be a contrarian. This is not “par for the course” for manual labor jobs as some people are claiming. Most manual labor jobs do not restrict you from talking about ethics or justice with your coworkers or have even a need for some virtual gold stars beyond a little whiteboard in the building with number of sales, employee of the month, etc. The fact that these techniques won’t work for Amazon just shows that their laborers are really over-worked compared to the norm. Unfortunately, Amazon is able to use their massive resources and capital to pay just more than the local factory, packing gig, etc. so they have a stream of desperate people willing to take it.
Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't think you're allowed to use company time to organize True, but they can't be discriminatory in how they restrict communications. If they prohibit all non-work discussions on this app that appears to be fine - but not if they only restrict topics that are likely related to organizing. From https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/em... "Also, restrictions on your efforts to communicate with…
I’m sure the employee handbook is setup correctly. I’m also entirely sure the rule is spottily enforced.
You might be right, but can you imagine an employee handbook that says "all conversation not related to work is prohibited"? Even air traffic controllers occasionally make quips on the radio.