Live data from Hacker News

Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

nytimes.com

21–30 of 244 posts

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#21
post #15

My guess is that they didn't fire them for "letting it happen" exactly. They probably fired them because the employees would view those managers as someone they recently defeated over a major issue. Which changes the power dynamic in a way that's distinct from the presence of the union itself. It's a weak attempt to get some of that back.

Or maybe as an example for other managers? Basically it's "no union" or your head...

Disgusting anyway.

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#22
post #2

They’re reaching a market cap where it would make sense to fire everyone but AWS.

It's confusing why investors haven't pushed harder for AWS to be spun-off into its own entity.

I don't see any benefits for Amazon as a whole of doing so.

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#23

> Several were veterans of the company, with more than six years of experience I think it's sad that we have an industry, where someone with six years' experience, is considered a "veteran." But it sounds like Amazon is sending a message to managers of other warehouses, to go as low as possible, to fight unionization. Expect things to get ugly.

Amazon's workforce has probably doubled twice in the last 6 years? So even without taking attrition into account (which is substantial in the warehouses), after 6 years you're in the 25% longest-tenured warehouse employees. With attrition I'd guess you're in the "top" 10%?

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's confusing why investors haven't pushed harder for AWS to be spun-off into its own entity.

The largest customer of AWS is Amazon. AWS would not be profitable without Amazon.

1. I seriously doubt that this is true

2. Amazon can be a customer of AWS's, even if the latter is spun out

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#25
post #2

They’re reaching a market cap where it would make sense to fire everyone but AWS.

For real. Amazon's retail side is nothing but bad pr and other messy human entanglements. AWS is clean, profitable, and nearly ubiquitous. I definitely know which business I would rather be in

The guy who used to run AWS now runs the whole show, so maybe it'll get better on the retail side over time?

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#27
post #2

They’re reaching a market cap where it would make sense to fire everyone but AWS.

It's confusing why investors haven't pushed harder for AWS to be spun-off into its own entity.

Why would they do that when one entity's losses can be used as a tax write-off for the other entity's profits.

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#28
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you think corporations should break the law? Workers have the right to organize a union, firing workers in retaliation for organizing has long been illegal: https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/em...

Not the OP and not supporting his opinion, but these where not workers they fired, they were senior managers, and I believe it's not illegal. I guess the OP means that they should be fired for failing to do their job, ie. "convince" the workers to not unionize.

that's an old argument though, where does it stops?

If someone put those managers in charge of "convincing" workers to not unionize, aren't they responsible as well?

And who gave the order to put someone to "convince" them, haven't they failed too?

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#29
post #4

As they should!

It boggles the mind how many people are opposed to collective bargaining, of all things. Give the least powerful in society a fraction of an ounce of power and it makes some people completely irrational.

A lot of people blame unions for killing the American dominance of car manufacturing worldwide. And the general de-industrialization of the US.

It was a big hit to peoples conceptualization of the country.

Re: Amazon abruptly fires senior managers tied to unionized warehouse

#30

"fired"? don't they have time limited contracts, that include a golden parachute in case of early termination? Does Amazon manage to even treat senior managers badly?

Senior warehouse manager =\= Senior corporate manager
Post reply on HN