Workers describe tens of thousands of packages delayed—and a strong sense of empowerment within warehouses—after Amazon workers with the Teamsters launched the largest strike to date against one of the world's most powerful companies.
So the question I have is - are people just scared to strike? Or are the conditions overblown and most workers don’t see it the way it’s reported?
I’d think if it was really that bad then there would be more solidarity and strikes.
I’m not saying it isn’t bad, but I’m trying to piece how bad it actually is if people aren’t willing to strike. I realize there are financial implications to striking, but isn’t that also why dues are paid? Aren’t there funds or things to give them some help/reason to strike?
People don’t strike anymore because they can’t. Wages are so bad and strike funds are so low that people will lose everything if they strike for more than a day or 2. Most strike funds these days pay out a couple dollars an hour your on the line.
Well I think atleast with Amazon the unions arent very pervasive yet, there’s very few unionized facilities since Amazon does everything in their power to stop it from spreading. The solution would be to unionize all the facilities so that the collective support of them all would be enough to really make a dent in Amazon. Also probably starting the strike earlier so it really affects people, maybe make it start right around black Friday to have a real big impact since I’ve seen that’s the busiest day for Amazon drivers atleast.
Combination of people fearing losing their job due to strike, and the poor conditions being normalized. There’s a lot of that in retail and fulfillment where it’s just treated as normalcy to not have the human rights of a reasonable work environment and access to a restroom whenever needed.
I get that all of that, but that’s what the unions and the strikes are about though, right? Like, if you’re NOT exercising that option then you’re never going to get it and isn’t there an option to sue for losing your job over it?
I’ve never joined a union so I have NO idea, just what I’ve seen in comments and on Tv.
A ton of what you see is through an anti-Union filter, and as you try to start one corporate will feed EVERYONE lines saying how much worse it’ll be with a union while actively making the workplace less accommodating, or talking about dues but not how much more sustainable wages would be even with them.
It’s a flood of misinformation and manipulation tactics.
And then places like Starbucks will leave online orders on for a location that’s closed and striking so even customers just get mad at the workers as a reason to fire everyone.
I appreciate your response. I hate these companies and the shit they are pushing. I have been trying to ween off of these types of places (like Amazon) as much as I can.
I appreciate the discourse! It’s hard to be clear of them because they tend to be the big chain stores or brands that end up ‘important’ or hard to escape. Literally all of them do it in different ways and it normalizes the behavior among workers and consumers alike which makes it harder to practice ‘salting’ which is reminding those groups they’re mad at the employer/company not each other.
So the question I have is - are people just scared to strike? Or are the conditions overblown and most workers don’t see it the way it’s reported?
I’d think if it was really that bad then there would be more solidarity and strikes.
I’m not saying it isn’t bad, but I’m trying to piece how bad it actually is if people aren’t willing to strike. I realize there are financial implications to striking, but isn’t that also why dues are paid? Aren’t there funds or things to give them some help/reason to strike?
People don’t strike anymore because they can’t. Wages are so bad and strike funds are so low that people will lose everything if they strike for more than a day or 2. Most strike funds these days pay out a couple dollars an hour your on the line.
Ugh, then doesn’t that mean that unions are just, in general, ineffective and a waste?
What the fuck is the solution?! Full Luigi?
Well I think atleast with Amazon the unions arent very pervasive yet, there’s very few unionized facilities since Amazon does everything in their power to stop it from spreading. The solution would be to unionize all the facilities so that the collective support of them all would be enough to really make a dent in Amazon. Also probably starting the strike earlier so it really affects people, maybe make it start right around black Friday to have a real big impact since I’ve seen that’s the busiest day for Amazon drivers atleast.
Combination of people fearing losing their job due to strike, and the poor conditions being normalized. There’s a lot of that in retail and fulfillment where it’s just treated as normalcy to not have the human rights of a reasonable work environment and access to a restroom whenever needed.
Thank you for the answer.
I get that all of that, but that’s what the unions and the strikes are about though, right? Like, if you’re NOT exercising that option then you’re never going to get it and isn’t there an option to sue for losing your job over it?
I’ve never joined a union so I have NO idea, just what I’ve seen in comments and on Tv.
A ton of what you see is through an anti-Union filter, and as you try to start one corporate will feed EVERYONE lines saying how much worse it’ll be with a union while actively making the workplace less accommodating, or talking about dues but not how much more sustainable wages would be even with them.
It’s a flood of misinformation and manipulation tactics.
And then places like Starbucks will leave online orders on for a location that’s closed and striking so even customers just get mad at the workers as a reason to fire everyone.
I appreciate your response. I hate these companies and the shit they are pushing. I have been trying to ween off of these types of places (like Amazon) as much as I can.
I appreciate the discourse! It’s hard to be clear of them because they tend to be the big chain stores or brands that end up ‘important’ or hard to escape. Literally all of them do it in different ways and it normalizes the behavior among workers and consumers alike which makes it harder to practice ‘salting’ which is reminding those groups they’re mad at the employer/company not each other.