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Over 10,000 John Deere workers strike over ‘years’ of poor treatment
US unionsOver 10,000 John Deere workers strike over ‘years’ of poor treatmentWorkers wage biggest private sector strike in the US for two years, saying they were forced to do overtime consistently while company made record profits Michael SainatoThu 14 Oct 2021 08.35 EDTLast modified on Thu 14 Oct 2021 09.19 EDTMore than 10,000 production and warehouse workers at 14 John Deere plants in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Colorado and Georgia walked off the job at midnight on 14 October in the latest in a wave of industrial unrest in the US.The workers, represented by nine locals with the United Auto Workers (UAW), voted 99% in favor of a strike authorization in September after receiving the initial six-year contract proposal from John Deere.It is the biggest private sector strike in the US for two years, since the UAW led an action against General Motors. It also comes amid threats of other strikes in the US and widespread labor problems in an economy still recovering form the battering inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic.On 10 October, workers voted overwhelmingly by 90% to reject the tentative contract agreement offered by John Deere, with a strike deadline set for 11.59pm CT on Wednesday, 13 October.David Schmelzer, a quality control inspector at John Deere in Milan, Illinois for 24 years and former chairman of UAW Local 79, explained in 1997 workers took several concessions from John Deere in contract negotiations at the time, which included creating a two-tier …
‘Welcome to the party’: five past tech whistleblowers on the pitfalls of speaking out
08/10/2021 Comments Off on ‘Welcome to the party’: five past tech whistleblowers on the pitfalls of speaking outTechnology‘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 …
Continue reading …California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activists
07/10/2021 Comments Off on California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activistsTechnologyCalifornia companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activistsSilenced No More Act makes it illegal for firms to prevent employees from speaking out about harassment or discrimination Kari PaulFri 8 Oct 2021 03.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 8 Oct 2021 03.02 EDTIn a major victory for Silicon Valley activists and California workers, the governor has signed a law making it illegal for companies to bar employees from speaking out about harassment and discrimination.The new law is the result of hard-fought advocacy work by those in the tech industry who have long spoken out against the restrictive confidentiality arrangements, known as nondisclosure agreements or NDAs, which are intended to protect industry secrets but which has created a culture of silence around wrongdoing.NDAs often keep incidents of harassment and discrimination under wraps, forcing employees to keep quiet or face legal actions and fines. They became a point of debate after the #MeToo movement, when it was revealed that Harvey Weinstein used such contracts to keep his victims from speaking out.She sued for pregnancy discrimination. Now she’s battling Google’s army of lawyersRead more“This act is a huge step in the right direction in eliminating cultures of secrecy around misogyny and racism in the workplace, especially in California’s tech industry,” said Veena Dubal, an associate professor of law at the University of California, Hastings, and tech worker advocate.The Silenced No More Act was co-sponsored by …
Continue reading …‘A race to the bottom’: Google temps are fighting a two-tier labor system
24/09/2021 Comments Off on ‘A race to the bottom’: Google temps are fighting a two-tier labor systemGoogle‘A race to the bottom’: Google temps are fighting a two-tier labor systemContracted workers doing the same jobs for less pay and no job security are exposing the tech company’s workplace inequalities Michael SainatoFri 24 Sep 2021 06.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 24 Sep 2021 06.01 EDTBen Gwin works for Google Shopping in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Though he is technically a temporary worker at the tech giant, Gwin and 65 of his colleagues are now represented by the United Steelworkers union.The group of workers ratified their first union contract in July after two years at the bargaining table with their contractor, HCL America Inc. The contract victory was historic in an industry that has aggressively opposed union drives, especially among temp and contracted employees.Workers have characterized temp positions in the tech industry as a shadow, second-tier workforce who are drastically underpaid compared with direct employees doing the same or similar work and are often lured into the positions with the implication they could eventually be offered a permanent position directly with the company.By seeking to unionize these positions, many of these workers are hoping to improve their circumstances.“It’s a race to the bottom,” said Gwin. “That was one of the union-busting talking points. They claimed, ‘if you negotiate for better pay, someone else is going to come in and take this contract and pay less fees.’”Gwin said he and his co-workers all work in various capacities for Google Shopping, alongside workers directly …
Continue reading …Amazon offers to pay college fees of 750,000 frontline US workers
10/09/2021 Comments Off on Amazon offers to pay college fees of 750,000 frontline US workersAmazon 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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