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Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

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Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#92
post #82

What a beautiful example of propaganda, in the truest sense of the term. The guitar intro is folksy, the guy is warm and lovely, and _excited_ to have us at this training.... it's about your "success". Success of course, is not getting fired for being a collaborator with counter-revolutionary "associates" who reject Generalissimo Uberführer Bezos inspired vision and "history making" five year masterplan for "direct w…

Years 2020 and 2021 are rich for topic about propaganda. I never understood why there was something like holocaust in history. After covid, I understand how fear, media and oppression shape behavior. What bothers me more is question, if we can ever learn from history.

The one thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait until you learn what happens to returned packages.

Wait, what happens to returned packages? Now I'm curious about that too.

A straight forward research led me to https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/28/amazon-returns-what-really-h...

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#94

Transcript: Welcome! We're excited to have you at this training, specifically designed to give you the tools you need for success when it comes to labor organizing. During this course, we will cover important topics such as our position on unions, associate's rights, signs of employee disengagement, and how to identify, escalate, and address associate's concerns. We're not anti-union, but we're not neutral either. We…

Who makes up this stuff? > 'The most obvious signs would include use of words associative with unions or union-led movements such as 'living wage' or 'steward.' Talking about making a living wage is dangerous to shareholders now?

What a difference it makes by paying your employees more money (up to a point). Almost all businesses get more productivity out of employees by paying them more money. Which means you need fewer employees, or your business grows. Both are good. See: Cosco

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#95

Here the long version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRpwVwFxyk4

The "Threaten. Interrogate. Promise. Spy." (TIPS) section where they explain how to legally do those things is fucking crazy.

For some reason I thought that intentionally looking for ways to circumvent laws in this way was kinda illegally

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#96
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For those that want to follow, what are good online shopping alternatives? I find that most people I talk to are drawn to Amazon simply because Amazon has managed to set an expectation of fast deliver, often as little as same-day delivery in areas that have a warehouse nearby (like the one I live in). I make every effort to shop local, or find alternative places to order online, but one cannot argue the convenience A…

> For those that want to follow, what are good online shopping alternatives? In Blighty, Argos. No counterfeit stuff (which frankly, should be a given), same day delivery and a good network of bricks'n'mortar shops (with pick-up and drop-off) if you need it. http://www.argos.co.uk/

If you are concerned by the ethics of Amazon I don’t see how Argos is a step up:

https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/argos-buzz-bingo-a...

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/business/union-takes-l...

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Debatable. Unions can also be seen as there to benefit current union workers only. Milton Friedman is as libertarian as it gets, but he makes a good case about how unions only serve current employees, and have no incentive to see the business grow and serve & hire more people if it does not lead to higher wages for employees.

> no incentive to see the business grow and serve & hire more people if it does not lead to higher wages for employees The alternative being lower wages for the same work? This argument doesn’t make sense to me, unless he implicitly agrees companies only grow by exploiting workers.

It makes sense if you don't assume any of this has anything to do with the workers benefiting long-term because Friedman doesn't care about that: being able to suppress wages gives a business more room to grow by redirecting surplus to the owners, who can choose to reinvest the money by hiring more workers or buying machines that increase the productivity per worker. Unions on the other hand would use their leverage to redirect some of that surplus back to workers by increasing wages, reducing the overall profit.

Unions can also use their leverage to mandate a better and safer working environment and reduce workloads, which reduces the short-term productivity whereas a business owner could otherwise weigh the benefits of these measures reducing churn (i.e. people being too exhausted/injured/maimed/burnt out to continue doing their job and having to be replaced) against the overall increase in productivity.

"Growth" means increasing profits. Profit means surplus from income that is not paid out to workers (wages, bonuses, etc) or spent on sustaining the business itself (operating costs, rentals, service contracts, etc). Payroll can easily be one of the biggest cost factors and productivity one of the biggest factors to income, so being able to squeeze both of these liberally makes it much easier to grow a company. This is completely tangential to the interests of the workers.

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Paying you more than the absolute minimum is not in the interests of our Customers, Shareholders, Associates, Shareholders and our Shareholders.

Amazon actually pays significantly above the minimum wage, this frequently leads to complaints by businesses located near their plants that they have to hike their pay in response to still get workers. NYT did a nice article on this two years ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/business/economy/amazon-w...

Leaving aside Amazon's appalling labour record, I do think this is a brilliant strategy to lure away the highest quality workers from nearby factories and warehouses. I am sure it is part of their decision making when deciding where to build a new warehouse.

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#99
post #8

So I did my first part in trying to support everyone who dislikes this as much as I do. I cancelled my Prime and I will try to not purchase anything from Amazon for a year. It's not much, but it's something. I invite everyone to do the same.

Goodonya. Here's what I did. It's not for everyone. It was painful, awkward and led to a lot of bother... but ultimately I feel proud of myself and how the other responded. I rejected a gift that came in an Amazon box. Very politely, and apologetically., I said, "I'm really sorry, but I can't accept this." And why, (working conditions, monopoly etc). It had an effect not only on myself - to make an ideological whimsy…

No social movement in history has ever been powered by people being considerate about their consumption patterns. I'm not saying it's a waste of effort, but I am saying this is unlikely to be sufficient to any cause. In fact, I'd posit that it has a far greater (and largely negative) impact on your life than it has a positive one on other peoples' lives.

Re: Amazon training video on handling unionizing activity (2018) [video]

#100
post #20
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For those that want to follow, what are good online shopping alternatives? I find that most people I talk to are drawn to Amazon simply because Amazon has managed to set an expectation of fast deliver, often as little as same-day delivery in areas that have a warehouse nearby (like the one I live in). I make every effort to shop local, or find alternative places to order online, but one cannot argue the convenience A…

I often buy things on ebay. At least here in germany it's filled with offers from small to medium sized companies that offer usually cheaper or equivalent prices to amazon.

I do find it amusing that back in the day eBay was considered a scammers paradise and now I find it more trustworthy then Amazon.
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