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Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

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Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#41

Post by dylan604 »

reading-at-work wrote: post #17

Not surprised. Tech companies (Facebook and Google in this case, and probably others) have been known to retain Pinkerton agents to monitor employees. Yes, those Pinkertons. “Among other services, Pinkerton offers to send investigators to coffee shops or restaurants near a company’s campus to eavesdrop on employees’ conversations.” https://newrepublic.com/article/147619/pinkertons-still-neve...

This is awesome in a very very sad way.

Several years ago, I started working for a company that was in the build up to a Yea/Nay vote for joining the union. During that time, 2 "goons" showed up at my apartment to discuss the benefits of joining the union and why not joining would be bad. However, these very "intelligent" goons showed up during the day, you know, working hours where I had a very low chance of being home. I don't know if they were just that dumb, or if they were trying to influence what they thought were family members. Instead, it was my flatmate from England. She told me just laughed at the thought of me joining a union, and not so politely told them to bugger off and closed the door on them. Ultimately, the vote failed miserably.

All of that to say, that I'm not surprised that anti-union shenanigans are at the same level as the pro-union shenanigans.

Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#42

Post by jimbob45 »

anoxor wrote: post #16

Having been a part of a union I was mandated to enter when I took the job until the supreme court ruled that wasn't legal, actual unions are a far cry from how they are portrayed as helping the worker. I would honestly do anything in my power to not have to work in a union again. They are set up as antagonistic between administration and workers, and adds a layer of bureaucracy that I've only seen be negative. I've w…

The fact is that there are effective unions. There are also corrupt unions. The problem is that each side will only acknowledge one of those sentences as being correct.

Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#43

Post by mattacular »

ouid wrote: post #28
motohagiography wrote: post #15

Why would Amazon want to prevent workers from unionizing? Look what it did for teaching, policing, mail delivery, port security, taxi driving, waste management, public service, and construction.

I think there is a growing part of america that is coming around to the idea that the path to more negotiating power for laborers is not unions. It is through basic income and social safety nets.

How would basic income and social safety nets increase labors negotiating power?

Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#44

Post by smnrchrds »

dylan604 wrote: post #41
reading-at-work wrote: post #17

Not surprised. Tech companies (Facebook and Google in this case, and probably others) have been known to retain Pinkerton agents to monitor employees. Yes, those Pinkertons. “Among other services, Pinkerton offers to send investigators to coffee shops or restaurants near a company’s campus to eavesdrop on employees’ conversations.” https://newrepublic.com/article/147619/pinkertons-still-neve...

This is awesome in a very very sad way. Several years ago, I started working for a company that was in the build up to a Yea/Nay vote for joining the union. During that time, 2 "goons" showed up at my apartment to discuss the benefits of joining the union and why not joining would be bad. However, these very "intelligent" goons showed up during the day, you know, working hours where I had a very low chance of being h…

What makes you call them goons? Politicians, activists, all sorts of people go door knocking around the time of elections and referendums. What made this interaction so different that you call them goons sent there to intimidate you, not activists trying to attract your vote?

Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#45

Post by jariel »

mikestew wrote: post #30
anoxor wrote: post #16

Having been a part of a union I was mandated to enter when I took the job until the supreme court ruled that wasn't legal, actual unions are a far cry from how they are portrayed as helping the worker. I would honestly do anything in my power to not have to work in a union again. They are set up as antagonistic between administration and workers, and adds a layer of bureaucracy that I've only seen be negative. I've w…

Were I to base career choices on every one-off negative anecdote about a particular work scenario, I would have gone to live in a monastery years ago. Of course, I'm probably replying to a Pinkerton employee right now. But, yeah, unions bad.

Except that it's not a single anecdote, and this issue is widespread.

Ignoring the realities and complexities of established organized labour is not going to help the cause.

Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#46

Post by ksrm »

lordofgibbons wrote: post #6
Barrin92 wrote: post #2

Is that even legal? I thought the US or most states at least like most other countries have laws against undermining the ability of employees to organise.

If you've ever worked in retail, one of the first "training" videos they show you is an anti-union informational video. One of the big points of the videos is to report union organizers to management ASAP. This kind of training is extremely common for low wage jobs in the U.S. If almost all large retailers are doing it, it mustn't be illegal, or not enforced.

Found an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6bFEs4ZoXw

Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#48

Post by refresher »

The relevant excerpts from the job listings:

>Analysts must be capable of engaging and informing L7+ ER Principals (attorney stakeholders) on sensitive topics that are highly confidential, including labor organizing threats against the company, establish and track funding and activities connected to corporate campaigns (internal and external) against Amazon, and provide sophisticated analysis on these topics

>Analysts must be capable of creating and deploying sophisticated search strings tailored to various business interests and used to monitor for future risk; Engaging business leaders (L6+) directly is core to this support, and may cover topics including organized labor, activist groups, hostile political leaders.

>Analysts are expected to close knowledge gaps by initiating and maintaining engagement with topical subject matter experts on topics of importance to Amazon, including hate groups, policy initiatives, geopolitical issues, terrorism, law enforcement, and organized labor

Re: Amazon deletes job listings for analysts to track ‘labor organizing threats’

#49

Post by BiosElement »

mattacular wrote: post #43
ouid wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think there is a growing part of america that is coming around to the idea that the path to more negotiating power for laborers is not unions. It is through basic income and social safety nets.

How would basic income and social safety nets increase labors negotiating power?

Simple, it would mean the employee doesn't need the job as badly as the employer needs the worker. If you don't need to worry about starving, it's a much more powerful position to begin from, naturally.
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