3474
3475

Just like 2016’s Brave, Brave Sir Comey - putting a thumb on the scales lest the GOP say mean things about them!

No-one ever worries about what the left will say.

3476

That’s decidedly not true. Gina Carano can attest to that.

Anyway, fuck Facebook.

3477

One would hope after multiple failures of right wing outrage’s attempts to create alternative platform for people to flee to they’d get over their fear of backlash.

3478

I disagree, the fact that she didn’t care about what the left would say is why she’s in her current situation.

I’m sure she cares now though.

3479

I missed the news when it broke but it looks like Australia and Google/FB came to an agreement on the news law. The tl;dr; of the changes seems to be that the law will not be triggered as long as Google & FB make payment deals with the various publishers - which basically bring it in-line with EU laws.

FB has announced a 1B deal in the works with plans to unblock Australia soon…so congrats News corp I guess.

3480

From just the press releases, it is impossible to tell what was actually agreed. Best to wait until we see the actual amendments written out fully. Facebook’s statements suggest that the requirement for forced negotiation is gone, and they’re free to not serve news if they want to. Which seems to imply that they’re free to do that decision on a case by case basis.

It cannot be the case that the law comes into effect only if there’s no voluntary deal, becuase the main problem with the law was exactly that. Any news org could negotiate in bad faith, and force a binding arbitration with favorable terms.

But if the option of choosing to block links to a publisher rather than pay for the links exists, the law does not actually change the status quo.

I wonder if the actual endgame for both sides claiming victory is the first bullet point. Maybe Google and FB won’t actually start off as designated platforms, and have been told in secret some number X, and they need to hit that number in “voluntary” payments to avoid it.

There is no way that budget is just for Australia, it must be worldwide.

3481
3482

This is kinda hilarious, though Amazon is going to extremes- even offering workers $2000 to quit then promising to rehire them after the union vote just to get them not to vote for the union.

3483

That’s nonsense. First, it is a program they’ve been running every year across the whole company at this time of year. It’s not targeted at the warehouse that’s unionizing, nor the vote. (Unless they’ve been playing 4d chess since 2014.)

Second, why would having people leave change the math on the vote? Sure, fewer people vote. But you also need fewer people for a majority.

3484

Oh yes, let us clutch pearls over the unfair take on Amazon trying to thwart unions.

3485

Did you hear that Amazon has built a network of mind control satellites, and are using them to build a delivery fleet of enslaved red pandas? It is outrageous, that’s an endagered species! They’ll do anything to save a buck, and it’s not going to stop at that, it’ll be humans next.

Look, I really dislike Amazon, and have done no business with them for five years. I don’t give a fuck about being “fair” to them. But what Alstein posted was just obviously not true, and I do care about getting the facts right.

3486

The new thing was the promising to rehire after the union vote. That’s what made it different.

The $2000 to quit thing has been true for a while.

3487

Unless you have data, like links to actual information and not some whisper network, stop repeating bullshit about this being tied to unions.

3488
3489

That’s a union site, not a news site.

See the date on this?

here look, more info directly in there:

This program, which is called Pay to Quit, was first created by online shoe retailer Zappos, which Amazon bought in 2009.

“The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want,” Bezos writes in a 2014 shareholder letter. And according to Amazon, few people actually accept.

This was not created for this current union push although no doubt they are using it because they have been for years.

3490

True, but

“I researched and found out they do it at a lot of facilities and what not. But it was a good time to do it now in Bessemer. That could hurt the votes,” Michael Foster, one of the leaders of Bessemer’s union drive, told Motherboard. “If they quit the vote won’t count. To me it’s just to prevent the people from getting the union in. They need to thin out some people. It’s kind of a polite way to do it.”
[…]
“It appears that Amazon accomplishes two goals with “The Offer.” It removes inveterate employees whom the company might consider a liability and an unnecessary expense so it can replace them with fresh new-hires at starting wage with no tenure regarding benefits. It saves the company money in stock payouts, 401k payouts, regular and overtime pay, vacation pay, VCP payments, other [sic] benefits. In this way, “The Offer” payout is quickly recovered, and what remains is all savings to the company.”

Whatever you feel about this is going to correlate strongly with how you feel about worker rights and the class struggle, for the same reasons. But it is indeed not new.

3491

No my position on not twisting information and contorting it to fit a specific viewpoint is not a reflection on how i feel about worker rights and class struggle. Information and data is exactly that, and trying to manipulate emotions by misrepresenting the implementation and use of this program to make people think one way for the wrong reasons… helps no one.

3492

Well, ok, does the data on timing and locations of this year match with previous years? I can’t find it. If so, we’re reading too much into some statements, although Amazon should still be careful not to run afoul of that Alabama law the union mentions.
But it’s hard to believe the existence of the practice isn’t partially meant to stifle unionization, with it being offered in a period where workers are most tired and the company has less demand and can more easily deal with whatever happens.

3493

Looks like there’s evidence both ways- this is a program they’ve used, but usually folks are ineligible for rehire.

That said, they have gone to extremes, including forced meetings in-person during COVID, and advertising all over the bathroom (TBF Wal-Mart did this in the 90s , about half of their worker training was anti-unionization), and even using the city council to change traffic pattern to make pro-union folks less able to distribute their literature.

I understand what Nesrie is saying though- the whole rehire thing (which would be new) I haven’t seen confirmed outside of union members I’ve heard quoted (though to be fair ,it’s possible that’s unannounced).

I also know Nesrie’s coming in a good place on this. We don’t always agree on things, but I can tell the folks who want to make things better here versus the folks who just want the staus quo. The whole thing came because of what I was seeing about Twitch banning an Amazon unionbuster ad- then digging into some unionmembers complaints. The other stuff I mentioned about the stoplights, forced in-person meetings, and bathrooms has been confirmed, and honestly is in line with my previous retail experiences.