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Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

seattletimes.com

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Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#191

Post by clipsy »

hw wrote: post #159
clipsy wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So do medical doctors; and they've preserved that status by unionizing to protect it.

Medical doctors spend a lot of time and money in med school and residency. They have malpractice risk, and perform more essential work like saving lives and improving people’s health, your health. Working a hospital especially in the ED is stressful. No stock options, rsu grants. Tech workers on the other hand, say engineers, can easily get a high paying FAANG job without a 4yr degree - just spending time grinding le…

> Tech workers on the other hand, say engineers, can easily get a high paying FAANG job without a 4yr degree

It is prima facie absurd to say that tech workers can "easily" get a job at FAANG; if it were that easy to work at FAANG surely the 50%[0] of Software Engineers who make less than $121k or 75%[0] of Software Engineers who make less than $152k would simply do so.

[0]: https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/software-develope...

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#192

Post by osigurdson »

IntelMiner wrote: post #164
osigurdson wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Means of production" is a tribe signalling phrase imo.

Perhaps "Proletariat" might be better? Or "working class"

"Proletariat" is too head on. When you say "means of production", at least some percentage of people don't know what you are talking about so an effective tribe signal.

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#193

Post by benjaminwootton »

x86x87 wrote: post #3
tjr225 wrote: post #2

If these workers could get remote jobs, they would- but they can’t. Amazon knows this, and probably can’t wait for them to quit. For now all they can do is complain about having to go to an office to be a spoiled, overpaid tech worker. If I had that job I would be keeping my mouth shut and enjoying the paycheck, but to each their own I suppose.

Amazon has a small window to force the drones back to the office. Once people start having options we're done. WFH will be here to stay.

Objectively, people are seemingly being forced back to the office at least part time, and there are less WFH opportunities. Those in favour of WFH are losing the standoff.

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#194

Post by tpxl »

mc32 wrote: post #75
TheSoftwareGuy wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you also gain access to more employers

…if you’re willing to work for foreign wages…

For a lot of people, me included, foreign wages may be much higher than local wages.

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#195

Post by jayd16 »

user_named wrote: post #152
lettergram wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I managed a remote team and man is it harder than in person. One common remote work thought is “you get more heads down time” I’ve found almost the opposite. You have to be way more regular about engagement with each person. I would do 20 min meetings with every team member, every week. Team lunches over zoom twice a week, daily standup (1 min per person, plus breakout rooms for further discussions), Friday afternoon…

Sounds like helicopter management

These comments are so reactionary and low effort. A daily standup, plus 20 minutes a week, plus putting in the effort to be available as the manager is helicopter management?

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#196

Post by opmelogy »

This isn't surprising. Amazon said that they were going to support remote work indefinitely and then changed their minds even though people have moved away from the main offices. Then they pull every back in the midst of massive layoffs and it really comes across as intimidation and manipulation. It doesn't matter if that's what it is - it's very very easy to perceive it that way. From what I've seen, older generations tolerate this sort of treatment better than younger generations. I don't mean that as a dig on younger folks and it being a commentary on maturity - I think that the younger generations have a different view of how things can and should function (to inject my opinion here - I tend to agree with them...things are really really broken and we have to change).

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#197

Post by Kerrick »

MattGaiser wrote: post #113
pretendgeneer wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny how now is never the right time. It's always just gone or some time soon .

The problem is that the right time for something is usually a sacrifice in a time of abundance. So nobody wants to think about such a negative during good times and thus no action is taken.

When things are good, “we don’t need collective action, look how good things are.”

When things are bad, “I can’t afford the risks of collective action, look how bad things are.”

When things are borderline, “We shouldn’t make any important decisions about collective action now, look how tenuous things are.”

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#198

Post by avereveard »

IntelMiner wrote: post #164
osigurdson wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Means of production" is a tribe signalling phrase imo.

Perhaps "Proletariat" might be better? Or "working class"

Programmariat, overworked devs aren't famous for having large families

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#199

Post by knifie_spoonie »

jayd16 wrote: post #195
user_named wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like helicopter management

These comments are so reactionary and low effort. A daily standup, plus 20 minutes a week, plus putting in the effort to be available as the manager is helicopter management?

> putting in the effort to be available as the manager

Except that the parent commenter is expecting others to be available to them without regards to other people's working patterns.

Re: Seattle Amazon workers plan walkout over return to office, layoffs

#200

Post by jayd16 »

knifie_spoonie wrote: post #186
lettergram wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I managed a remote team and man is it harder than in person. One common remote work thought is “you get more heads down time” I’ve found almost the opposite. You have to be way more regular about engagement with each person. I would do 20 min meetings with every team member, every week. Team lunches over zoom twice a week, daily standup (1 min per person, plus breakout rooms for further discussions), Friday afternoon…

> In an office I can walk around the block with you and chat. In a remote setting I have to schedule some time This is exactly what I love about remote work. Being able to schedule activities ahead of time and avoid my flow being interrupted makes me so much more productive.

I kind of hate it. The meeting is going to disrupt my flow no matter what. I'd rather bang out the day's meetings in an ad hoc but back-to-back way. With remote meetings it feels like there's so much scheduling overhead and in between meeting dead time.
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