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Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

theintercept.com

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Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#51

Post by uncomputation »

bko wrote: post #6

It 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…

Distractions like discussing “freedom” or “accessibility”?

> 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.

Amazon will basically work them until they have no free time except sleep then, preventing any worker solidarity or social bonds to form.

> Many are used to comfortable jobs where they can post memes on slack…

I feel like you’re trying to paint tech workers as a bunch of pampered pearl clutchers who have no experience with blue collar labor, but that completely ignores the fact that the Amazon factory workers - ie not cushy tech workers - started this effort to unionize because the working conditions are that bad. This shows that actually, no, an employer who won’t let you go to the restroom or even say the word “restroom” on their “chat app” is not normal, even for blue collar workers who you seem to think have no expectations of rights at all. This is not about posting “memes on slack.”

Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#52

Post by wewtyflakes »

tenebrisalietum wrote: post #21
mc32 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The old, it’s a private company so they can set their own rules (see all the responses to Twitter censorship accusations).

Over a chat app they provide for work use, I'm not seeing the ethical issue. Pay and overwork is one thing but why can't these employees use their phone for things they don't want the company to observe? Phones are cheap.

People are living social creatures, they are not robots, and the pursuit to treat humans as APIs for units of productivity will lead to a predictable outcome of causing human misery.

Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#53

Post by awb »

scarmig wrote: post #13
sbinthree wrote: post #2

Whatever the corporate equivalent is of a late stage authoritarian dictatorship.

So much of what we call "capitalism" is just creating authoritarian planned economies in the miniature and shrugging our shoulders and saying that it's all "private" so rights like free speech don't apply. And both factions of the elite who run the country like it that way.

> shrugging our shoulders and saying that it's all "private" so rights like free speech don't apply

Centralized control over industry can have some pretty bad consequences too.

Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#55

Post by not2b »

awb wrote: post #48
lwansbrough wrote: post #41

Pretty 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 ha…

Apparently meaning: they were caught, so now they have to rethink it.

Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#56

Post by TeeMassive »

hotpotamus wrote: post #44
sbinthree wrote: post #2

Whatever 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.

They can do things that's within the law. Recording conversations have been considered harassment in the past. Blocking vocabulary related to unionization could be considered blocking employee from self-organizing.

Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#58

Post by awb »

not2b wrote: post #55
awb wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 ha…

Apparently meaning: they were caught, so now they have to rethink it.

Yeah, this leak is about a brainstorming session.

It was a stupid suggestion that apparently hasn’t seen the light of day.

Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#59

Post by FinNerd »

uncomputation wrote: post #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…

Why don’t their employees quit then and work somewhere better if they have the opportunity? If they don’t have a better opportunity than seems like Amazon is providing a valuable opportunity. Not to mention we seem to be in a worker-favorable economy.

Re: Amazon worker chat app to ban words such as “union”, “pay raise”, “slave labor”

#60

Post by vkou »

FinNerd wrote: post #59
uncomputation wrote: post #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…

Why don’t their employees quit then and work somewhere better if they have the opportunity? If they don’t have a better opportunity than seems like Amazon is providing a valuable opportunity. Not to mention we seem to be in a worker-favorable economy.

Why would they quit when they can collectively bargain instead?
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