Amazon to ban the word "union" and other terms on its new worker chat app

[zuul]

Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein (The Intercept):

Amazon to ban the word "union" on its new worker chat app, per internal company documents leaked to me. Other banned terms include "living wage," "slave labor," "harassment" and "restrooms."

2:30 PM · Apr 4, 2022

Link to tweet

https://theintercept.com/2022/04/04/amazon-union-living-wage-restrooms-chat-app/

AMAZON WILL BLOCK and flag employee posts on a planned internal messaging app that contain keywords pertaining to labor unions, according to internal company documents reviewed by The Intercept. An automatic word monitor would also block a variety of terms that could represent potential critiques of Amazon’s working conditions, like “slave labor,” “prison,” and “plantation,” as well as “restrooms” — presumably related to reports of Amazon employees relieving themselves in bottles to meet punishing quotas.

“Our teams are always thinking about new ways to help employees engage with each other,” said Amazon spokesperson Barbara M. Agrait. “This particular program has not been approved yet and may change significantly or even never launch at all.”

In November 2021, Amazon convened a high-level meeting in which top executives discussed plans to create an internal social media program that would let employees recognize co-workers’ performance with posts called “Shout-Outs,” according to a source with direct knowledge.

The major goal of the program, Amazon’s head of worldwide consumer business, Dave Clark, said, was to reduce employee attrition by fostering happiness among workers — and also productivity. Shout-Outs would be part of a gamified rewards system in which employees are awarded virtual stars and badges for activities that “add direct business value,” documents state. At the meeting, Clark remarked that “some people are insane star collectors.”

[tanyev]

1. What about onions? Can they talk about forming onions?

[Salviati]

5. I'd suggest using bezos for restroom.

As in "I've got to take a giant dump, I need to find a bezos."

[Runningdawg]

2. And so it begins. Forget Orwell or Atwood read VERACITY by Laura Bynum

When it was published clearly, most believed the world of Atwood would be come to pass before the world of Veracity. They were wrong.

[yardwork]

3. Not the Onion?

[Hoyt]

8. No, but it's Intercept.

[yardwork]

17. Hmmmmm.... I'll wait for corroboration.

[DBoon]

4. restrooms?

will employees be provided with a chamber pot instead?

[marie999]

6. So they just write U/n/i/o/n.

[sakabatou]

7. And all those happy-clappy commercials about Amazon are lies

[The Unmitigated Gall]

9. Jeff Bezos...Come on, worker bees...don't fail him now...

He hasn’t made it to the top of the billionaires club yet. Fuck your wages, some things are IMPORTANT.

[Joinfortmill]

10. Must be afraid of something.

[aocommunalpunch]

11. I'll add this to my warehouse full of reasons to keep NOT buying from these scum.

What's your price for the illusion of convenience?

[Mad_Machine76]

12. This is stupid

[turbinetree]

13. Next up mind melts.......in the lunch room.....

[FakeNoose]

14. Amazon employees will find other ways to communicate - away from corporate eyes

This is probably an attempt by management to prevent employees from using company emails and message boards for union-type messages and meet-ups. Don't worry, they'll find other ways.

[unblock]

15. We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect aw crap....

[Scrivener7]

16. The app and it's purpose seem a little creepy.

[DinahMoeHum]

18. "Restrooms"??? Time to break out this oldie but goodie. . .

"Employees lose respect for a company that fails to provide decent facilities for their comfort"