3 ms·

Technically the fired whistleblowers were cushy whitecollar office workers. Yes, i know i just said "worker" but that's not really what we all imagine when we

Technically the fired whistleblowers were cushy whitecollar office workers. Yes, i know i just said "worker" but that's not really what we all imagine when we think about Amazon workers that need more protections.

kennywinker 6y ago
I think the idea that "cushy" tech workers don't need protection is really insidious. It seems to me like it helps keep the white-collar workers on the side of management, rather than realizing that they actually have a bunch in common with the less well-paid worker. Yes, there are MUCH MUCH more vulnerable people working at amazon, but that doesn't mean the better-off workers don't also need protection e.g. against wage fixing https://time.com/76655/google-apple-settle-wage-fixing-lawsuit/ https://time.com/76655/google-apple-settle-wage-fixing-lawsu... or the normalizing of 50-60hour work weeks. And specifically, that forming some kind of a protective structure where workers of all levels band together to advocate for their shared interests could be a good idea. Still brainstorming names for that structure... combination? group? unitement? unification? idk anybody with a good idea shoot me a dm
- ShroudedNight 6y ago
  > It seems to me like it helps keep the white-collar workers on the side of management, rather than realizing that they actually have a bunch in common with the less well-paid worker. This is especially pernicious given that fundamental facility and process design decisions are made by the 'white-collar workers'. I wonder, for example, how bathroom or break-room access in Amazon fulfillment centres would change if the tech people shared a coffee or equivalent with people that work in pick+pack on a frequent and regular basis.
  - Apocryphon 6y ago
    White collar workers are not a monolithic class. The MBAs making those process decisions are different from minimum-wage contractors doing content moderation at Facebook, for instance.
Pfhreak 6y ago
They are still workers. Dividing ourselves into office workers and FC workers just causes am unnecessary rift. Both worker groups need protections and should support each other in achieving them. Solidarity is important.
- Xylakant 6y ago
  I used to work at a large German retailer with a long history and because in the past, the Blue collar workers organized and fought for protection, the white collar workers were protected by the union, too. They’d enjoy all benefit- mandatory overtime limit and payment, parental benefits above and beyond the legal minimum, name it. Still, on the days when the blue collar workers went on strike for a collective bargaining round, the privileged IT workers all went to their cubicles and spent the day cracking jokes about the union.
  - Pfhreak 6y ago
    That's a disappointing anecdote. I'm not sure it's any different in the states, unfortunately. Still, I believe we should be emphasizing the cases where the IT workers stood in solidarity and present a unified front wherever we can.
cycomanic 6y ago
That's incorrect at least in the case of Chris Smalls he was a warehouse worker who was fired because of speaking out against COVID19 conditions at Amazon (and later subject to a smear campaign). [1] https://abcnews.go.com/Business/retaliation-amazon-warehouse-worker-fired-staging-walkout/story?id=69893683 https://abcnews.go.com/Business/retaliation-amazon-warehouse...

kennywinker 6y ago

I think the idea that "cushy" tech workers don't need protection is really insidious. It seems to me like it helps keep the white-collar workers on the side of management, rather than realizing that they actually have a bunch in common with the less well-paid worker. Yes, there are MUCH MUCH more vulnerable people working at amazon, but that doesn't mean the better-off workers don't also need protection e.g. against wage fixing https://time.com/76655/google-apple-settle-wage-fixing-lawsuit/ https://time.com/76655/google-apple-settle-wage-fixing-lawsu... or the normalizing of 50-60hour work weeks. And specifically, that forming some kind of a protective structure where workers of all levels band together to advocate for their shared interests could be a good idea. Still brainstorming names for that structure... combination? group? unitement? unification? idk anybody with a good idea shoot me a dm

ShroudedNight 6y ago
> It seems to me like it helps keep the white-collar workers on the side of management, rather than realizing that they actually have a bunch in common with the less well-paid worker. This is especially pernicious given that fundamental facility and process design decisions are made by the 'white-collar workers'. I wonder, for example, how bathroom or break-room access in Amazon fulfillment centres would change if the tech people shared a coffee or equivalent with people that work in pick+pack on a frequent and regular basis.
- Apocryphon 6y ago
  White collar workers are not a monolithic class. The MBAs making those process decisions are different from minimum-wage contractors doing content moderation at Facebook, for instance.

Pfhreak 6y ago

They are still workers. Dividing ourselves into office workers and FC workers just causes am unnecessary rift. Both worker groups need protections and should support each other in achieving them. Solidarity is important.

Xylakant 6y ago
I used to work at a large German retailer with a long history and because in the past, the Blue collar workers organized and fought for protection, the white collar workers were protected by the union, too. They’d enjoy all benefit- mandatory overtime limit and payment, parental benefits above and beyond the legal minimum, name it. Still, on the days when the blue collar workers went on strike for a collective bargaining round, the privileged IT workers all went to their cubicles and spent the day cracking jokes about the union.
- Pfhreak 6y ago
  That's a disappointing anecdote. I'm not sure it's any different in the states, unfortunately. Still, I believe we should be emphasizing the cases where the IT workers stood in solidarity and present a unified front wherever we can.

cycomanic 6y ago

That's incorrect at least in the case of Chris Smalls he was a warehouse worker who was fired because of speaking out against COVID19 conditions at Amazon (and later subject to a smear campaign). [1] https://abcnews.go.com/Business/retaliation-amazon-warehouse-worker-fired-staging-walkout/story?id=69893683 https://abcnews.go.com/Business/retaliation-amazon-warehouse...