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‘Welcome to the party’: five past tech whistleblowers on the pitfalls of speaking out

Technology‘Welcome to the party’: five past tech whistleblowers on the pitfalls of speaking outFrances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, joined a growing list of Silicon Valley former employees to call out company policies Johana BhuiyanSat 9 Oct 2021 01.00 EDTWhen Frances Haugen revealed she was the Facebook whistleblower who supplied internal documents to Congress and the Wall Street Journal, she joined a growing list of current and former Silicon Valley employees who’ve come forward to call out military contracts, racism, sexism, contributions to climate crisis, pay disparities and more in the industry.California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activistsRead moreIn the past days, the Guardian spoke with five former employees of Amazon, Google, and Pinterest who’ve spoken out about their companies’ policies. The conversations revealed Haugen’s experience has been singular in some respects. Few of them received the international praise bestowed upon her. Some of them said they have faced termination, retaliation, harassment and prolonged litigation.But Haugen is entering a community of whistleblowers that appears tighter than ever, with some working to make it easier for the employees to come forward, through legislation, solidarity funds, and resources.“Welcome to the party, Frances Haugen,” one tweeted.Chelsey GlassonChelsey Glasson left Google in August 2019, alleging pregnancy discrimination and retaliation. She filed a discrimination lawsuit against the company the following year, and her trial is scheduled for 10 January. Years of litigation against a multibillion …

Jeff Bezos’s space flight firm ‘rife with sexism’, employees’ letter claims

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Jeff BezosJeff Bezos’s space flight firm ‘rife with sexism’, employees’ letter claimsOpen letter by current and ex-staffers alleges ‘consistently inappropriate’ behaviour by Blue Origin leaders Dan Milmo Global technology editorFri 1 Oct 2021 06.18 EDTLast modified on Fri 1 Oct 2021 07.14 EDTA group of current and former employees at Blue Origin, the space flight company owned by the Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, has accused the business of operating a work environment that is “rife with sexism” and prefers “breakneck speed” to safety.An open letter written by Alexandra Abrams, the former head of employee communications at Blue Origin and 20 other current and former workers, says the company’s culture “reflects the worst of the world we live in now” and must change.The letter, published on the whistleblower forum Lioness, says: “Workforce gender gaps are common in the space industry, but at Blue Origin they also manifest in a particular brand of sexism. Numerous senior leaders have been known to be consistently inappropriate with women.”The letter goes on to allege that a senior figure in the organisation was reported a number of times for sexual harassment and that new female employees were warned to stay away from another executive, who had allegedly groped a female colleague. It adds that the workforce was “mostly male” and “overwhelmingly white”.A Blue Origin spokesperson said: “Blue Origin has no tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any kind. We provide numerous avenues for employees, including a 24/7 …

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Today’s News & Commentary — September 15th, 2021

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Today’s News & Commentary — September 15th, 2021

U.S. District Judge David Hurd in Albany on Tuesday entered a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of a New York state health department rule requiring health care workers workers in hospitals and nursing homes to get a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 27, for those employed in public institutions, and October 9th, for those […]

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Amazon offers $3,000 sign-on bonuses to US delivery and warehouse workers

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Amazon Amazon offers $3,000 sign-on bonuses to US delivery and warehouse workers Online retailer will also raise its average starting wage to $18 an hour to help recruit 125,000 people Sarah Butler @whatbutlersaw Tue 14 Sep 2021 12.06 EDT Last modified on Tue 14 Sep 2021 12.45 EDT Amazon is offering sign-on bonuses of up […]

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Weekend News & Commentary – September 12, 2021

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Weekend News & Commentary – September 12, 2021

Six U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), have called on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to investigate allegations that Amazon.com Inc. fails to make adequate provisions for pregnant employees at its warehouses, citing “what appears to be a concerning pattern of mistreatment of pregnant employees at Amazon fulfillment centers.” As […]

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Amazon offers to pay college fees of 750,000 frontline US workers

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Amazon Amazon offers to pay college fees of 750,000 frontline US workers Company is latest big US firm to offer education-focused perks to workers after Walmart, Target and Kroger Mark Sweney @marksweney Fri 10 Sep 2021 04.58 EDT Last modified on Fri 10 Sep 2021 05.35 EDT Amazon has offered to pay the cost of […]

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Today’s News & Commentary—September 7, 2021

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Today’s News & Commentary—September 7, 2021

It was not a happy Labor Day for millions of Americans, as they abruptly lost the unemployment benefits that had sustained them for as many as 18 months. Three federal programs that boosted jobless benefits by $600/week (later lowered $300/week) will expire this week. The federal programs were more inclusive than traditional state unemployment insurance […]

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Today’s News and Commentary — Friday, September 3, 2021

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Today’s News and Commentary — Friday, September 3, 2021

A new piece by Vice details how the Teamsters Union has thwarted Amazon’s expansion efforts nationwide despite recent failures by the movement to unionize the Bessemer, Alabama Amazon warehouse earlier this year. The wins – such as getting Fort Wayne, Indiana to shoot down a $7.3 million tax break for Amazon – expose the Teamsters’ […]

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Amazon to recruit 55,000 staff globally in tech and office roles

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Technology sector Amazon to recruit 55,000 staff globally in tech and office roles Retailer says it will add 40,000 jobs in the US and 2,500 in the UK to support plans for rapid growth Richard Partington Economics correspondent @RJPartington Wed 1 Sep 2021 15.28 EDT – Amazon is planning to hire 55,000 staff in corporate […]

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Today’s News & Commentary — August 24, 2021

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Today’s News & Commentary — August 24, 2021

Workers at Colectivo Coffee have officially voted to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the NLRB ruled yesterday. The bargaining unit—now the largest coffee shop union in the country—will encompass 16 stores across two states, Illinois and Wisconsin (Colectivo has stores in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison), as well as warehouse workers and […]

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