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> Is there was a way to show support for this cause as an Amazon customer? Yes: * During the strike, show solidarity by not crossing picket lines. Don't use t

> Is there was a way to show support for this cause as an Amazon customer? Yes: * During the strike, show solidarity by not crossing picket lines. Don't use the service, and don't patron the business for the duration of the strike. This is because during the strike, the workers that are filling in for the strikers are scabs and crossing the picket line. * Spread the news, their demands, and encourage solidarity with these workers. Strength is in numbers and solidarity. When that breaks down, the movement breaks down. It's why many States and companies do everything in their power to prevent the wage-earners from organizing effectively.

Spivak 7y ago
I feel like "not using Amazon" doesn't actually do much because they there's no way to send the signal that you're not buying because of the strike as opposed to a million other reasons you might not be spending. I think a more effective solution would be to keep buying like you normally do but if/when your service is worse due to being short staffed send a message to their support.
- EarthIsHome 7y ago
  > I feel like "not using Amazon" doesn't actually do much... Whoever is fulfilling your order during the strike is a scab, and you're helping pay their wage. It is destructive to the strike. It's about solidarity with the working people and helping with their demands. The point is to not give money to businesses who workers are striking against. > I think a more effective solution would be to keep buying like you normally do... Doing this destroys the strike.
  - Spivak 7y ago
    > Whoever is fulfilling your order during the strike is a scab Wait, but I'm not supposed to actually get the order in this hypothetical. I place and order, the workers don't actually fill it, I complain and get my money back, cost Amazon money, and tell their customer service that I'm upset that the strike is inconveniencing me and they should treat their workers better. The number of non-Amazon workers that are aware of this strike will never reach critical mass so if there's enough non-strikers to still do business as usual the strike is already over, right?
- myself248 7y ago
  You could just call support without placing an order. That checks both boxes, wastes their time, and deprives them of money until they acknowledge their workers' needs.
  - lonelappde 7y ago
    Are the support workers striking?
lipstone 7y ago
Do you really need to call strike breakers "scabs"? It seems excessive to demonize workers that need job security / don't believe in unions / etc.
- EarthIsHome 7y ago
  > Do you really need to call strike breakers "scabs"? It seems excessive to demonize workers that need job security Yes. And the strikers don't need job security?? This is what it means to have solidarity with them. You don't sell them out. Of course it's not easy.
  - lipstone 7y ago
    You're attempting to shame and villainize people that disagree with the movement, and trying to justify that using meaningless buzzwords like "solidarity". Why should the strikers not show solidarity with the non-strikers by stopping the strike? Or show solidarity with the health care workers by enduring difficult times for the common good? Why do strikes always seem to be surrounded by such emotional rhetoric? To me, that's a warning sign that there's no underlying logic.
KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago
Don't know if you've been on amazon lately but they're so full of orders that delivery dates are almost impossible to secure. I don't think they'll mind a few less orders these days.
- korethr 7y ago
  This is sadly, not terribly surprising. With most stores not grocery stores closed, people have to turn to online ordering to get what they need/want. And with Amazon having established themselves as the main entity to go to for online ordering, of course they are going to be overwhelmed with orders at the moment.
noscabi 7y ago
> the workers that are filling in for the strikers are scabs This skips a step. Who gave the strikers the right to choose this for the entire workforce? If my coworker says "I strike" and I stay at my desk, does that make me a "scab"? The article gives no information about who the workers are, how many of their fellow workers they represent, how long they've been doing the job. I'm not sure what would qualify them to speak for everybody, but it's got to be more than giving a quote to NPR, and surely it depends how many of them there are, relative to their coworkers.
- EarthIsHome 7y ago
  > If my coworker says "I strike" and I stay at my desk, does that make me a "scab"? Yes. Call it scab, strikebreaker, whatever; you are undermining your coworkers' demands and weakening the strike. Of course it's not easy to strike, but it's necessary if you support their demands. You show solidarity and support by striking with your coworkers. It's most powerful when done as a whole block.
  - derision 7y ago
    What if I disagree with their characterization of the situation and I'm perfectly happy with my working environment?
    - EarthIsHome 7y ago
      > What if I disagree with their characterization of the situation and I'm perfectly happy with my working environment? Then it's clear you don't support their demands. You're siding with management and not your fellow coworkers. That's fine, just know that your choice doesn't fully support their demands and is hurting their movement.
      - derision 7y ago
        And what if their movement is hurting my employment, and thus my livelihood? The attitude you're suggesting is basically holding me hostage to your demands, regardless of if they're reasonable or not.
jiveturkey 7y ago
you're missing a point. the workers here are not unionized. it therefore isn't a strike. we can safely assume that not all workers are participating in the walkout, and those that don't presumably still want work (orders) to come in. i understand your pro-labor position (i am also pro-labor), but because this isn't a union effort, ie voted on and carried out by a singular work force, there aren't scabs. there are those who agree and those who don't. applying a disparaging label to those who chose not to participate is promotion of a one-sided message; a political bias. also, wrt the amazon part of this news, it's a single warehouse in NY, and given that it's now 3PM there, and there is no news story of an actual walkout, it's safe to say that the effort fizzled.
- lonelappde 7y ago
  Unions are democratic(ish), not unanimous. A nonunion walkout is equivalent to a union strike if you didn't support the decision to strike.

Spivak 7y ago

I feel like "not using Amazon" doesn't actually do much because they there's no way to send the signal that you're not buying because of the strike as opposed to a million other reasons you might not be spending. I think a more effective solution would be to keep buying like you normally do but if/when your service is worse due to being short staffed send a message to their support.

EarthIsHome 7y ago
> I feel like "not using Amazon" doesn't actually do much... Whoever is fulfilling your order during the strike is a scab, and you're helping pay their wage. It is destructive to the strike. It's about solidarity with the working people and helping with their demands. The point is to not give money to businesses who workers are striking against. > I think a more effective solution would be to keep buying like you normally do... Doing this destroys the strike.
- Spivak 7y ago
  > Whoever is fulfilling your order during the strike is a scab Wait, but I'm not supposed to actually get the order in this hypothetical. I place and order, the workers don't actually fill it, I complain and get my money back, cost Amazon money, and tell their customer service that I'm upset that the strike is inconveniencing me and they should treat their workers better. The number of non-Amazon workers that are aware of this strike will never reach critical mass so if there's enough non-strikers to still do business as usual the strike is already over, right?
myself248 7y ago
You could just call support without placing an order. That checks both boxes, wastes their time, and deprives them of money until they acknowledge their workers' needs.
- lonelappde 7y ago
  Are the support workers striking?

lipstone 7y ago

Do you really need to call strike breakers "scabs"? It seems excessive to demonize workers that need job security / don't believe in unions / etc.

EarthIsHome 7y ago
> Do you really need to call strike breakers "scabs"? It seems excessive to demonize workers that need job security Yes. And the strikers don't need job security?? This is what it means to have solidarity with them. You don't sell them out. Of course it's not easy.
- lipstone 7y ago
  You're attempting to shame and villainize people that disagree with the movement, and trying to justify that using meaningless buzzwords like "solidarity". Why should the strikers not show solidarity with the non-strikers by stopping the strike? Or show solidarity with the health care workers by enduring difficult times for the common good? Why do strikes always seem to be surrounded by such emotional rhetoric? To me, that's a warning sign that there's no underlying logic.

KaoruAoiShiho 7y ago

Don't know if you've been on amazon lately but they're so full of orders that delivery dates are almost impossible to secure. I don't think they'll mind a few less orders these days.

korethr 7y ago
This is sadly, not terribly surprising. With most stores not grocery stores closed, people have to turn to online ordering to get what they need/want. And with Amazon having established themselves as the main entity to go to for online ordering, of course they are going to be overwhelmed with orders at the moment.

noscabi 7y ago

> the workers that are filling in for the strikers are scabs This skips a step. Who gave the strikers the right to choose this for the entire workforce? If my coworker says "I strike" and I stay at my desk, does that make me a "scab"? The article gives no information about who the workers are, how many of their fellow workers they represent, how long they've been doing the job. I'm not sure what would qualify them to speak for everybody, but it's got to be more than giving a quote to NPR, and surely it depends how many of them there are, relative to their coworkers.

EarthIsHome 7y ago
> If my coworker says "I strike" and I stay at my desk, does that make me a "scab"? Yes. Call it scab, strikebreaker, whatever; you are undermining your coworkers' demands and weakening the strike. Of course it's not easy to strike, but it's necessary if you support their demands. You show solidarity and support by striking with your coworkers. It's most powerful when done as a whole block.
- derision 7y ago
  What if I disagree with their characterization of the situation and I'm perfectly happy with my working environment?
  - EarthIsHome 7y ago
    > What if I disagree with their characterization of the situation and I'm perfectly happy with my working environment? Then it's clear you don't support their demands. You're siding with management and not your fellow coworkers. That's fine, just know that your choice doesn't fully support their demands and is hurting their movement.
    - derision 7y ago
      And what if their movement is hurting my employment, and thus my livelihood? The attitude you're suggesting is basically holding me hostage to your demands, regardless of if they're reasonable or not.

jiveturkey 7y ago

you're missing a point. the workers here are not unionized. it therefore isn't a strike. we can safely assume that not all workers are participating in the walkout, and those that don't presumably still want work (orders) to come in. i understand your pro-labor position (i am also pro-labor), but because this isn't a union effort, ie voted on and carried out by a singular work force, there aren't scabs. there are those who agree and those who don't. applying a disparaging label to those who chose not to participate is promotion of a one-sided message; a political bias. also, wrt the amazon part of this news, it's a single warehouse in NY, and given that it's now 3PM there, and there is no news story of an actual walkout, it's safe to say that the effort fizzled.

lonelappde 7y ago
Unions are democratic(ish), not unanimous. A nonunion walkout is equivalent to a union strike if you didn't support the decision to strike.