If the myth of tech over the past decade has been one of constant innovation, algorithmic scale, and new products and devices that “simply work,” the truth is that all of those illusions were made possible by the obfuscation of labor: the contract content moderators who sanitize the feeds of Facebook and YouTube from violence and extremist content; the warehouse workers at Amazon fulfillment centers trying to meet the guarantees of same-day shipping; the gig workers of all kinds — Uber drivers, food delivery cyclists, Instacart shoppers, among them — all of whom are at the whims of increasingly efficient platforms and wayward legislation.
And that’s not even to speak of the white-collar tech workforce that, while better compensated, is still being taken advantage of by NDAs and mandatory arbitration clauses that keep hidden the realities of discrimination and harassment in the office. But now, some workers across tech companies are organizing for better treatment and pay. Others are making efforts to unionize. Most importantly, the movement will reach everyone who works in tech — and anyone who uses those platforms. The story of the tech industry over the next decade will be the reckoning brought on by its workforce.
The National Labor Relations Board ruled that captive audience meetings, or meetings employees must attend where the employer expresses how it feels about unionization, are unlawful. The ruling came in a case involving Amazon, which hasn’t been a fan of unions.
[National Labor Relations Board]
The plan, which is part of the retail giant’s push to get staff back into offices five days a week, will make it harder to get permission to work from home.
Here’s a snippet from Bloomberg’s report:
The company recently told employees with disabilities that it was implementing a more rigorous vetting process, both for new requests to work from home and applications to extend existing arrangements. Affected workers must submit to a “multilevel leader review” and could be required to return to the office for monthlong trials to determine if accommodations meet their needs.
More than 600 Times engineers, product managers, data analysts, and designers went on strike today, and publisher AG Sulzberger told staff that it’s likely the strike will continue into Election Day.
According to a letter of support signed by newsroom staff, nearly half of the Tech Guild works on election projects. Let’s hope someone is around to fix the needle tomorrow.
The layoffs affect workers at all four of Intel’s Oregon campuses, according to a WARN notice posted online. The job cuts come as part of Intel’s broader layoffs that will impact more than 15,000 employees.
Ride share drivers in New York are guaranteed a minimum wage — but Uber and Lyft gamed the law by locking drivers out of the app, making it impossible for them to earn more, a Bloomberg investigation found.
Bloomberg collected more than 7,000 screenshots of lockouts and estimated how much the companies could save using the lockout tactic.
Newsom has until September 30th to decide SB 1047’s fate, and both sides are lobbying hard.
The New York Times Tech Guild has voted to authorize a strike, Axios reports. The guild has been bargaining with NYT management for more than two years, but the two sides have not agreed to a contract.
In a press release about the strike authorization, the union and The NewsGuild of New York didn’t say when a strike might take place.
Bending Spoons bought WeTransfer in July and now plans to lay off 75 percent of its employees, reports TechCrunch. CEO Luca Ferrari told TechCrunch it was looking to fulfill a vision “of a smaller, more sharply focused WeTransfer organization.”
Employees at the Penn Square Mall store, represented by the Communication Workers of America (CWA), will vote on September 22nd whether to ratify the agreement, which includes “up to 11.5%” wage increases, paid time off, and health benefits, according to the CWA.
The agreement follows a Maryland Apple Store that ratified its own union deal last month.
[Communications Workers of America]
A decision about drivers in Palmdale, CA, “found that Amazon is a joint employer of its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) drivers.” The Teamsters union that represents them now says it’s “confident” the determination will eventually apply to drivers nationwide, allowing them all to organize and negotiate with Amazon.
Brandy Diaz, Amazon driver:
We wear Amazon uniforms, we drive Amazon vans, and Amazon controls every minute of our day. Amazon can no longer have all the benefits of their own fleet of drivers without the responsibilities that come with it.
[International Brotherhood of Teamsters]
GoPro, which currently employs 925 people, says in an SEC filing that it’s issuing the layoffs as part of its plan to reduce costs. The company reported earning $186 million this past quarter — a 23 percent dip compared to the same time last year. It also laid off 4 percent of workers in March.
Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) handed down the ~$600,000 fine in favor of Gary Rooney, who was fired from Twitter in 2022 after failing to click “yes” in an email asking employees to accept Elon Musk’s “extremely hardcore” work culture or leave.
As reported by RTE, the WRC found Rooney’s choice to not click “yes” was “not capable of constituting an act of resignation.”
The company’s restructure mostly affects sales and managerial staff. Some outlets have reported, based on sources, that the layoffs will cut more than 10,000 jobs, but an analyst told SiliconAngle a number that high seems unlikely.
Dell isn’t the only tech company handing out pink-slips; Intel announced last week it’s laying off over 15,000 employees.
SAG-AFTRA has chosen the first picket line in the video game voice actors strike. On Thursday August 1st, members will assemble to picket Warner Brothers Studios in Los Angeles. Last week, SAG-AFTRA voted to strike under its Interactive Media Agreement after failing to reach a deal with video games studios regarding the implementation of AI protections for voice and motion performers.
