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Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

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Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#101

RTO seems to have nothing to do with the warehouse workers asking for a piddly $25/hour and health and safety guarantees. It's flabberghasting that the union votes keep failing.

Amazon seems extremely likely to pull a walmart and immediately close any warehouse that unionizes.

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Usually peoples' wants are explainable. It's certainly not uncommon to be able to explain one's wants when their implementation affects others, especially in a negative way. "I want you to return to the office." "Why?" "Just do." Is so unfulfilling a response that it's stupid on the part of management to not have even a noble lie explaining why it's so.

My desire for the bottom of my taps to be descaled is not explainable. I can make up reasons - I can say, it looks better because it's more visually ordered, it's shiny and it looks nice, family and friends I invite over have this arbitrary bias too and so they'll look more kindly on me... etc. But at the end of the day I just want the taps descaled and my cleaner does it for me. It sounds really as if what it comes…

I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. This is a great explanation of your perspective.

For what it's worth. I tend to agree that most explanations of desires are post hoc rationalization or justifications. It's nice to encounter someone who's honest with themselves in that way.

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#103

The advantage of working from home was that you could take care of kids and do all the housework, this worth thousands of dollars per months. For years companies didn't adjust salaries in accordance to inflation and the cost of outsourcing kids care and house care, all that while keeping interest rate low and bailing rich bankers with printing of money. This caused funneling of wealth from the workers to asset holder…

The easy argument to this by management is that you shouldn't be taking care of your kids and doing housework while working in the first place. Another argument could be that it punishes those who don't have kids yet or don't want them unfairly working more than those who do. You can't use the argument of "being able to do things other than work" as an argument because its easily trumped. The best arguments are those…

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Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok. Beyond for me means that there is a part that can be explained by economic and a part that exceeds economics. I hope that clarifies.

Right, and my point is that is it completely explained by economic reasoning. One way or another, you are rejecting the notion that software developers are capable of arriving at anti-union positions on the basis of economic reasons alone. You insist, without evidence or justification, that there must be some other motivation beyond economics.

Let me get this right. You're making the point that the economics explains the entirety of tech's disdain for unions? You know that all it takes is one counter-example, right?

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#105
post #17

Amazon tech workers should unionize.

It's a thought, but ceteris paribus, software engineers seem to have a particular scorn for unions beyond the calculus of economics. In other words, there is a personality/sub-cultural disdain for unions. I see it as an extension of a distaste for bureaucracy or perhaps, social structures in general, but I'm open to other perspectives.

Ive been in unions and worked with unions that enact policies that are unequivocally bad for the company and me as an employee. Stuff like basing way too much on seniority, overly bureaucratic process, constant deference to lawyers instead of solving problems were all completely debilitating to the organization and 100% due to the unions. While unions don't have to be this way I think the unfortunate reality is that most people are selfish and will vote for these policies which are good for them in the short run even if they tend to cause major problems for the business and new employees.

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, and my point is that is it completely explained by economic reasoning. One way or another, you are rejecting the notion that software developers are capable of arriving at anti-union positions on the basis of economic reasons alone. You insist, without evidence or justification, that there must be some other motivation beyond economics.

Let me get this right. You're making the point that the economics explains the entirety of tech's disdain for unions? You know that all it takes is one counter-example, right?

My point is that the sizeable majority of the disdain for unions stems from economic reasoning, not some personality or sub-cultural factor. Let's revisit the original comment I responded to:

> It's a thought, but ceteris paribus, software engineers seem to have a particular scorn for unions beyond the calculus of economics. In other words, there is a personality/sub-cultural disdain for unions.

When one writes "software engineers _______", without any sort of qualifier, the typical interpretation is that the statement applies to the majority of the group.

It's a very different thing to write "software engineers seem to have a particular scorn for unions beyond the calculus of economics" and "a handful of software developers seem to have a particular scorn for unions beyond the calculus of economics".

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My desire for the bottom of my taps to be descaled is not explainable. I can make up reasons - I can say, it looks better because it's more visually ordered, it's shiny and it looks nice, family and friends I invite over have this arbitrary bias too and so they'll look more kindly on me... etc. But at the end of the day I just want the taps descaled and my cleaner does it for me. It sounds really as if what it comes…

I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. This is a great explanation of your perspective. For what it's worth. I tend to agree that most explanations of desires are post hoc rationalization or justifications. It's nice to encounter someone who's honest with themselves in that way.

I agree, but I think what it actually comes down to is this -

I deliberately use the cleaner example because - I'm hiring a person to clean my tap. They might disagree with my reasoning for cleaning it. At the end of the day, I don't care what your opinion is on tap descaling, I want it done, so you either do it or I'll find someone who will.

The management doesn't owe you a reason for preferring in-office work. It's not an unreasonable request, it's not illegal, they're not assaulting you or degrading you or something like that.

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me get this right. You're making the point that the economics explains the entirety of tech's disdain for unions? You know that all it takes is one counter-example, right?

My point is that the sizeable majority of the disdain for unions stems from economic reasoning, not some personality or sub-cultural factor. Let's revisit the original comment I responded to: > It's a thought, but ceteris paribus, software engineers seem to have a particular scorn for unions beyond the calculus of economics. In other words, there is a personality/sub-cultural disdain for unions. When one writes "soft…

My point wasn't that cultural factors are more important in explaining disdain. It was simply that economic issues can't explain the disdain in its entirety. The first response was that I was saying economics played no factor, then it was that I was saying that economics were more important.

I'm not sure what you're arguing about anymore. It changes with every response. You seem to be bent on arguing with me and I'm not sure why.

The way you're portraying yourself reads as if you have an emotional reaction to unions that goes beyond merely the economic yourself. If you don't think that's the case, then you might want to consider changing the way you write. It's working against the argument you're trying to make.

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. This is a great explanation of your perspective. For what it's worth. I tend to agree that most explanations of desires are post hoc rationalization or justifications. It's nice to encounter someone who's honest with themselves in that way.

I agree, but I think what it actually comes down to is this - I deliberately use the cleaner example because - I'm hiring a person to clean my tap. They might disagree with my reasoning for cleaning it. At the end of the day, I don't care what your opinion is on tap descaling, I want it done, so you either do it or I'll find someone who will. The management doesn't owe you a reason for preferring in-office work. It's…

Why would the threshold be set at assault? It can simply be a battle of preferences and all all parties can use whichever framing devices they want to ensure their will is executed.

Re: Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages

#110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My point is that the sizeable majority of the disdain for unions stems from economic reasoning, not some personality or sub-cultural factor. Let's revisit the original comment I responded to: > It's a thought, but ceteris paribus, software engineers seem to have a particular scorn for unions beyond the calculus of economics. In other words, there is a personality/sub-cultural disdain for unions. When one writes "soft…

My point wasn't that cultural factors are more important in explaining disdain. It was simply that economic issues can't explain the disdain in its entirety. The first response was that I was saying economics played no factor, then it was that I was saying that economics were more important. I'm not sure what you're arguing about anymore. It changes with every response. You seem to be bent on arguing with me and I'm…

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