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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’

#81

Post by chrisseaton »

smnrchrds wrote: post #44
dylan604 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Union activists in the UK have a reputation of being bullies, and in some cases in the past they've used physical violence to try to get people to do things their way.

At the height of union fever back in the 80s it got so bad at one point that union activists dropped a concrete block on someone's head from a bridge because he was trying to get into work and they thought he should be striking (David Wilkie.)

I would not appreciate union goons showing up at my door and I'd have a similar reaction.

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

#82

Post by smnrchrds »

MrStonedOne wrote: post #59
xnyan wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you agree that there are some corrupt market-based economies in our world? Would you say that the fact that there are corrupt and inefficient market-based economies means that all market-based economies result in negative outcomes? Saying that support of organized labor = support of corrupt unions is a pretty weak strawman.

I could ask you the same question, about unions. What I love are unions that set abnormally high union initiation fees, only offer payment plans on people who sign dues check off forms, then include language in that dues check off form that keeps you from cancelling it unless you do so during a 15 day window every year. As long as unions can forced on empolyees, unions can not be a market-based economy, it can not ev…

> Why is it harder for a workplace to leave a union that is no longer serving its interests (to none or another union) then it is for the union to form in the first place?

That's the case with essentially everything. Legally, it is much harder to get divorced than get married; it is much harder to break a lease than sign a lease; it is much harder to recall a judge than elect a judge, ...

Unions are not the exception in this regard, this is pretty much the norm in everything.

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

#83

Post by MrStonedOne »

AlexandrB wrote: post #72
MrStonedOne wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

corpitized unions (anything union organisation bigger then 1 location of 1 employer) are goons.

So what does that make corporations with more than 1 location?

Each location should have its own union, grouping them all up allows the needs of the few to get drowned out by the wants of the many, and elevates union leadership to a position of power over the workers as union reps have easier access to spread their messaging to employees across locations while normal employees can only organize within their location.

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

#84

Post by minimuffins »

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 union did this?

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

#85

Post by alecb »

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…

I'm impressed by how low-quality this anti-union astroturf bot is. If you have sentience, how much did someone pay for you on Fiverr?

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

#86

Post by pydry »

chrisseaton wrote: post #81
smnrchrds wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Union activists in the UK have a reputation of being bullies, and in some cases in the past they've used physical violence to try to get people to do things their way. At the height of union fever back in the 80s it got so bad at one point that union activists dropped a concrete block on someone's head from a bridge because he was trying to get into work and they thought he should be striking (David Wilkie.) I would…

>At the height of union fever back in the 80s it got so bad at one point that union activists

Were subjected to police brutality while largely peacefully picketing. Meanwhile the army was called in to do their jobs...

Apparently there was evidence of "excessive violence by police officers, a false narrative from police exaggerating violence by miners, perjury by officers giving evidence to prosecute the arrested men, and an apparent cover-up of that perjury by senior officers."

According to the independent police complaints commission, anyway.

Note the similarities to current protests in the US and similar attempts to depict police as simply reacting to "violent blacks".

If you want to see the full gamut of vicious state inflicted violence you can either be the wrong race, or you can form a powerful enough union and go on strike.

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

#87

Post by MrStonedOne »

smnrchrds wrote: post #82
MrStonedOne wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I could ask you the same question, about unions. What I love are unions that set abnormally high union initiation fees, only offer payment plans on people who sign dues check off forms, then include language in that dues check off form that keeps you from cancelling it unless you do so during a 15 day window every year. As long as unions can forced on empolyees, unions can not be a market-based economy, it can not ev…

> Why is it harder for a workplace to leave a union that is no longer serving its interests (to none or another union) then it is for the union to form in the first place? That's the case with essentially everything. Legally, it is much harder to get divorced than get married; it is much harder to break a lease than sign a lease; it is much harder to recall a judge than elect a judge, ... Unions are not the exception…

>Unions are not the exception in this regard

They must be.

or all unions will just trend toward allowing corrupt incentives to take over over time.

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

#88

Post by nraynaud »

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…

I live in France, being a union member here is incredibly dull, all day long people come with their employment contract, and you pore over the labor code and the various unions contracts to check the legality of various allegations.

at the top level the workers unions manage the unemployment insurance with the employers unions, and talk to the government before labor laws are changed.

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

#89

Post by alecb »

wnevets wrote: post #78

Whenever unions are mentioned on HN there always seems to be a coordinated effort to attack them in the comments, very interesting.

A total coincidence that 15 FWD: FWD: UNIon RUInEd My Life stories immediately dominate the conversation whenever a story like this hits the front page.
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