Background
In Bessemer, Alabama, one of the most historic voting polls has taken place to decide if there will be the first Amazon Union. Why have workers decided to unionize? There are almost a million Amazon part and full-time workers across 800 facilities in the country. Wage is not the dominant issue as workers get paid $15 an hour including benefits. But many argue their “higher pay” does not compensate for rigid warehouse conditions and the exhausting work environment Amazon provides.
Workers complain about the physical toll the job demands from the long hours and limited movement. Mentally, workers feel dehumanized through the repetition of tasks and working “in a very big machine that does not always listen to their problems.” One of the most controversial disputes is the use of time off-task (TOT), an Amazon computer system that determines whether workers are on task or off-task, essentially monitoring workers’ every move. There are other issues regarding break times, time off, sick days, etc.
Controversy Online
One of the widespread claims showcasing Amazon’s unfair working conditions was workers having to urinate in bottles from the lack of bathroom breaks. Amazon replied to Representative Mark Pocan’s tweet criticizing Amazon’s so-called “progressive workplace” stating that the claim is false and they have “over a million incredible employees around the world who are proud of what they do, and have great wages and health care from day one.” There have more issues on the Twitter platform as fake Amazon workers have been seen convincing others against the union and pretending to be “overjoyed warehouse workers.” Twitter is fighting back by suspending accounts for impersonation and regulating more of the messages posted as attention increases toward the problem.
How Will This Impact the Future of Businesses?
The Bessemer Vote will have a high effect on technology firms. We have yet to see unions in workplaces of growing tech industries and, Friedman, principal of law firm Gupta Wessler PLLC, states "The concept that workers get a seat at the table is a radical concept for people in Silicon Valley." Even if Amazon does win the vote, it will lose support from the public. The debate on unionization has brought immense attention to the cause, hopefully leading to some reform in the Amazon workplace even if the union does not materialize.
Companies are becoming bigger and more powerful every day leading people to question how the government and the public will begin to regulate them, or if they even can? How do you think the Amazon union will affect the future of tech business and the economy as a whole?
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