Work hard, have fun, create history.If only you would not set up a trade union in Amazon

1. SPIDER'S WEB
2. plus
3. SW+

- This fight for a trade union is happening in the most difficult condition, in the most difficult company and at the most difficult moment.If, despite these obstacles, it turns out to be a success, he sends the world the news that the relationships in Amazon can be organized everywhere - this is how Professor Janice Fine from the University of Rutgers spoke about the attempt to establish the first trade union in the American Amazon last spring.Although the local attempt ended in a failure, it did not mean the end of the fight.Because, as the mentioned Professor Fine said, "the history of relationships always consisted in rising after falls".- They are employees trying, losing and trying again - she said.

Will they manage to beat the giant this time and convince that trade unions are necessary for employees of this company to be treated with dignity?

Green light for Amazon's activities

Re -voting is possible because the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) - a government agency dealing in compliance with labor law considered that Amazon incorrectly interfered with the election process in the previous trade union referendum, which took place last spring last spring.Officials decided that the giant violated the labor law, deciding that the urns to vote were in the parking lot in front of the warehouse, under the watchful eye of the cameras and under the inscriptions "Speak for yourself" and "Vote for them".This created a false belief that Amazon is conducting elections, has supervision over voting and - as the trade unionists suggested - maybe thanks to the car park monitors under surveillance, and then settle them from what voice they gave away.Therefore, the agency decided that such action could have pressure on employees to vote against unions.

Barbara Aggrait, Amazon spokeswoman, found this decision as disappointing.- Our employees had a choice whether to join the relationship or not.The overwhelming majority were against - she said on TechCrunch, reminding that in the first vote more than two -thirds of employees were against the unions.

Such a result was then a disappointment for trade unionists, but he did not surprise those who watched the scale of commitment and the Amazon aggressive campaign in Alabama.The company of the richest man on the planet Jeff Bezos - with its famous slogan "Work Hard, Have Fun, Make History" placed in every warehouse around the world - has made a lot of effort and money to suppress the union spill in the bud.It was feared that the example of employees from Alabama could be followed by more of hundreds of thousands working for Amazon throughout the United States.

- Amazon moved heaven and earth to deceive his own employees.We will not let the company's lies, fraud and illegal actions escape it dry - said Stuart Appelbaum, head of the Trade Union of Retail, Wholesale and Department Stores (RWDSU), when he alerted about irregularities.

In fact, the Amazon palette was wide.Perhaps this was due to the fact that the company rented a group of consultants specializing in suppressing trade unions with RWP Labor.The company is proud of the fact that it helps companies "keep a workplace free of relationships".

Amazon organized a number of compulsory, weekly training, during which employees were instilled that the establishment of a union could lead to loss of benefits (M.in.retirement and paid vacation program) and salary reduction.Similar discourages from trade union activities included leaflets and posters that appeared in the warehouse - some of them were suspended even in social rooms and bathrooms.

Employees were even covered with text messages in which they were convinced: "Voting for" can end in mass layoffs and even closing the entire plant.Some of them received such messages up to five times a day.Amazon set up an anti -union website, and on Facebook bought advertising calling on employees to vote "for them".And to make it difficult to talk to trade unionists with employees, Amazon asked (effectively) local authorities to change the operation of traffic lights at intersections near the warehouse.Thanks to this, green light burned longer and they left the plant area faster.As a result, activists could not agate when employees stop at the red light.

Discipline of the Polish Association

Reluctance to relationships is not only the American model of this company.Of course, two trade unions have been operating in Polish Amazon for over seven years, i.e. an employee initiative and solidarity, but also a company here - to put it mildly - they are reluctant to them, although they associate a small percentage of over 23,000.employees.

And the reluctance has been deepened in recent months due to the loud, disciplinary dismissal of Magdalena Malinowska, a union and social work inspector, who worked for six years in a warehouse in Sady near Poznań.As a reason for dismissal, the company gave "filming or photographing the process of carrying the corpse of" an employee who died on the premises of the plant.

It is about Dariusz Dziamski, who on September 6 last year died in the Amazon magazine located near Poznań. Jak podała Inicjatywa Pracownicza, miał on wielokrotnie skarżyć się kierownictwu na zmęczenie pracą oraz na niewystarczającą liczbęemployees skierowaną do wykonywania jego pracy.

“Usually there were several people.In the period preceding the death of Dariusz, he performed his work alone, which could cause a significant overload of the body " - believe the trade unionists on the employee initiative.

When asked by SW+ about this matter, Amazon admitted that the day before his death, i.e. on September 5, the employee asked for help in the development of prams with containers due to their large number."The team leader delegated another employee to help wheelchairs.Until the end of the change, both men worked together.The employee did not submit further requests for additional people, "we read in the position of the press office.

The next day - according to the employee initiative - Dariusz Dziamski was to report his bad health to the management, but he was not assisted and medical was not called to him."Despite the pain felt and difficulty staying on his feet, the employee was forced to move through the warehouse and descend from the floor to the medical room, which could significantly reduce his chances of survival," says an employee initiative.

Currently, the matter is dealt with by the District Prosecutor's Office in Poznań, which, although it has already discontinued the investigation, after the widow of the widow of Dariusz Dziamski will probably resume investigation.

Let's return to the cause of Malinowska's dismissal.She has already been an Amazon employee in an interview with SW+, the accusation of "filming or photographing corpses" is called "absurd".- I have never filmed or photographed any corpses - swallows Malinowska and reminds that she came to the plant at that time, so that the company would include it as a social labor inspector in the accident team examining the case of a man who died at work on September 6.

- It was not agreed that I was a member of the accident team, so I left in front of the warehouse to call a union lawyer.Initially, I was in a smoking room and then in my car.I saw a funeral bus from a distance, but I didn't approach him.I didn't see any corpses either.I couldn't do what I was accused of - adds Malinowska.

Malinowska was dismissed, although she is a member of the Presidium of the Inter -Enterprise Employee Initiative in Amazon, as well as the Social Labor Inspectorate, and this provides her with special protection against dismissal.In order for Amazon to be released, according to the regulations he would have to obtain the consent of the trade unions.- But Amazon did not obtain such consent - says Malinowska and adds that it is difficult for her to understand Amazon's action, which is why she announces a reference to a court that can bring her back to work.- Only it will last a year or more - he adds.

Malinowska also adds that before her dismissal, Amazon tightened the policy towards trade unions.- In the past, though not without difficulty, we managed to negotiate some things and find compromises. Później jednak Amazon zaczął wykonywać ruchy wymierzone zarówno w nasz związek, jak i zwykłychemployees. Pierwszym takim uderzeniem było wprowadzenie jednostronnie bez naszej zgody zmian w regulaminie, które są niekorzystne dlaemployees, co jest niezgodne z prawem.Amazon also did not agree to conduct audits regarding compliance with health and safety rules, which before the holiday period, i.e. increased shipments, is very important to us.Then I was released.This is a disturbing direction, because trade unionists feel harassed by Amazon - adds Malinowska.

We also asked the Amazon press office about the disciplinary dismissal of Magdalena Malinowska. W odpowiedzi usłyszeliśmy, że Amazon kreuje wśródemployees „kulturę szacunku i oczekuje od nich odpowiedniego zachowania”.

- Mrs. Malinowska refused to follow the proper standards of social behavior.In connection with the above, after unacceptable and disrespectful behavior, we had no other choice but to end cooperation.We never finish cooperation without a clear reason.Ours ex -employee herself contributed to this through her unacceptable and disrespectful behavior.We have tried to establish a dialogue with her many times, but her behavior has not changed - we read in the statement of the Amazon press office, which also assured that she did not consider restoring Mrs. Malinowska to work."We are deeply convinced that we did the right thing," added company representatives.

Amazon also stated that he did not change his approach to trade unions.He emphasized that his employees "have a choice whether they want to join the relationship or not"."Always been like that.Every day we encourage people to find ways to improve their work, and when they do this, we want to make changes quickly, "we read in Amazon's statement.

Trade unions our enemy!

Dominik Owczarek, however, notes that the Amazon strategy towards trade unions has always been confrontational, which results from her business model.

- is a company whose business model assumes the use of resources to the edge of possibilities, including human resources.So social dialogue, demanding a humanistic factor at work, is not on her hand, and trade unions are treated as an unnecessary element inhibiting the development of the enterprise.It is far from how social dialogue is understood even in Western Europe - says ISP expert.And he adds that this American reluctance to trade unions was transferred to Polish land in the 90s.in neoliberal reforms.- Their assumption was M.in.Varmination of the economy and minimizing the role of trade unions, and this was largely done in the private sector. Problem w tym, że w efekcie instytucje mające chronićemployees, jak Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, są zbyt słabe, aby wywrzeć wpływ na pracodawców łamiących prawo – dodaje.

Professor AdamMrozowicki from the University of Wrocław, a sociologist studying transformation at the labor market, notes that Amazon or other companies may be reluctant to trade unions in Poland, because they have found a fertile ground.

- Amazon's action is the result, not the cause!- says prof..Mrozowicki.And he adds that the company is an easy target because it is large and perceived as anti -union.- But they were created there.It is not so that Amazon imposed his policy about relationships to us, but he simply fit into their Polish weakness.The bigger problem is the lack of strong institutions of the world of work in Poland and small Polish companies, where even nobody will think about relationships - adds profile.Mrozowicki.

Grzegorz Sikora from the Trade Union Forum notes that the change should start with educating Poles, what trade unions are and why you should associate.In his opinion, today the perception of compounds is burdened with large luggage not necessarily real stereotypes.

He adds that it will also be crucial here to increase digital competences to use modern tools and technologies in engaging in prophecy.

-Paradoxically, the solution is not to use social media, because these, in particular Facebook, form bubbles and unload socio-political tension in a dangerous way.Something annoys us, we write a comment and frustration escapes, and the problem remains unresolved.However, to change it, you usually have to express your opposition, go out into the street, organize yourself and the applications can be useful here - he argues.

Anti -uniform organizational culture

Amazon's sharp policy towards trade unions becomes one of the hallmarks of this giant.The company has often reached for extraordinary means, suppressing employee breaks.The New York Times journalists described these repetitive practices in the article with a much saying title "How Amazon destroys relationships".It clearly shows that the reluctance to compounds is being offended in what actions, tools and techniques are used against attempts to associate, it is not an accidental and locally approved decisions, but a top -down policy and organizational culture of the company resulting directly from the attitude of its authorities.

"In Amazon, the unions were considered relics of the industrial past from the beginning, and counteracting them was a virtue," summarizes NYT journalists.

- Jeff Bezos and similar bosses of companies raised in the 70s.and 80.In the United States they have coded that trade unions are harmful to the company and they must be fought by all means.It results directly from the liberal narrative and the economic model, which at the time celebrated triumphs - says Jacek Grzeszak from the Polish Economic Institute and reminds that in the 1980s.The twentieth century, the economies were switched on to the neoliberal tracks due to the reforms of Ronald Rekana and Margaret Thatcher.

This is confirmed by statistics.In 2021, the US connection rate in the US was 10.3 percent.and in the 1970s.The 20th century reached 25 percent.

Buntemployees Big Techów

There are other technological giants for maintaining low connection and falling trend, because Amazon is no exception here.Google, Facebook or Apple also do a lot so that there is no full -fledged trade union in their companies. Tyle że właśnie zaczynają się mierzyć z coraz silniejszym oddolnym trendem swoich własnychemployees dążących do stworzenia takich struktur.

There was a breakthrough in Google a year ago. Ponad 200employees powołało Alphabet Workers Union, a dziś liczba ich członków jest kilkukrotnie wyższa.However, before this happened, Google stuck his foot several times.Propylawic brokes, releasing: organizers of protests, signalists who doubtfully sound the company's ethical actions or people who want to set up a trade union.Gigant's termination of contracts usually explained with a breach of security procedures.However, there are many indications that we will find out more about these google activities soon. Na początku tego roku amerykański sąd pracy nakazał bowiem firmie przekazanie dokumentów związanych z wewnętrzną antyzwiązkową inicjatywą o nazwie Project Vivian, mającą – mówiąc krótko – zwalczyć aktywizm i przekonaćemployees, że związki są do niczego.

Facebook, podobnie jak Google, przez lata uważany był za tak wspaniałą i dbającą o potrzebyemployees firmę, że istnienie związków zawodowych wydawało się zbyteczne.And in fact, no such organization in a company that has recently changed its name to the finish line, has not yet been created, but its employees have often expressed their opposition to the controversial decisions of Marek Zuckerberg.

This was even the case in 2020, when the company improved Facebook Workplace, i.e. a system connecting company chat and enabling intranet office cooperation.One of its features was the automatic generation of popular topics, like "what people are talking about". Facebook stworzył jednak narzędzie pozwalające administratorom usuwanie i blokowanie niektórych popularnych wśródemployees tematów.When it turned out that the word "black list" proposed by the company was the word "to associate", the employees reacted with indignation.They did not agree that their company would build a tool that could be used to suppress trade union activity. W reakcji władze firmy ustąpiły, wycofały frazę z czarnej listy i przeprosiłyemployees, tłumacząc, że to „przeoczenie”.

Apple also distinguished the suppression of employee activism.The company is known for its mysterious organizational culture.In theory, it is to protect the company from leaks on new products or technologies to the competition.However, in practice, it also penetrates other organizational culture and prevents employees from talking about their problems.Some of them, unable to solve them inside the company, began to talk about them in public. Najgłośniejszym tego przykładem było uruchomienie przezemployees strony o nazwie AppleToo, na której zabierano historieemployees dotyczące nękania, molestowania seksualnego czy dyskryminacji.

Instead of seriously dealing with the examination of the allegations, the company decided to release Janneke Parrish, the leader of the #Appletoo movement.The official reason for the dismissal was so bizarre that it caused a stir.Parrish was released because she was removed from her business phone Robinhod, Pokémon Go and Google Drive.

Podobnie zresztą potraktowano Ashley Gjøvik, która na Twitterze publikowała informacje o nękaniu i inwigilacjiemployees.Gjøvik was released for the alleged disclosure of confidential information. Te działania zostały odebrane jednoznacznie jako próbę – jak określił to serwis The Verge – ochłodzenia zapałuemployees do „organizowania się”.

Great resignation and Striketober

Let's go back to Amazon, because the decision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on a re -referendum referendum appeared at an extraordinary moment.Pandemia has caused that in many, especially low -paid professions there are no hands to work, and employers have great difficulties recruiting new people.

A discussion has been going on for months about the so -called. Wielkiej Rezygnacji, która wskutek zmęczenia pandemią, psychicznego wyczerpania i szerzącego się wypalenia zawodowego miała skłonić milionyemployees do porzucenia dotychczasowej pracy. Co ważne, nie dotyczy tylko białych kołnierzyków, lecz w ogromnej mierze właśnieemployees mniej wykwalifikowanych.Vacancies cause that they have - at least in theory - a better negotiating position than before.In the event of dismissal, they will probably find a new occupation without much effort.

This greater confidence is one thing.The second is the atmosphere in Amazon magazines. Ogromne oburzenie przyniosły doniesienia o tym, w jakich okolicznościach zginęło sześciuemployees Amazona w Illinois, gdzie w połowie grudnia uderzyło tornado.It turned out that the management did not interrupt work despite the approaching threat. Rodziny zmarłych i związkowcy oskarżyli firmę Jeffa Bezosa, że przedłożyła zyski ponad życieemployees.And emotions were heated by Bezos himself, who put a smiling photo among Blue Origin astronauts a few hours after the tragic incident.

This anger is also focused on it because in Amazon pandemic thanks to the e-commerce boom, he got enriched. W ogromnej mierze dzięki pracy zwykłychemployees magazynów, którzy ryzykowali bardziej niż pracownicy biurowi mogący bezpiecznie pracować z domu.Meanwhile, a series of employees, if at all, only slightly participated in huge profits.The already mentioned 24/7 Wall Street website has calculated that in Pandemia, the property of Bezos has increased by several dozen billion dollars, which would allow each employee to pay a bonus in the amount of tens of thousands of dollars.

In addition, in the United States, since October last year, to the surprise of the experts, an type of employee activity and the awakening of trade unions, which gained the name "Striketober", has been observed..Describing this phenomenon The Guardian said that the scale of protest actions and strikes is unusual and results from insufficient gratification for the difficult time of pandemic.In short, employees say that they deserve much greater increases and greater gratitude, and a better moment to set demands may not come quickly.

All this can make Amazon employees get their and in a trade union referendum to "yes".Many of them know that thanks to this they could gain influence on the level of control that the company has over their employees, the length of breaks, setting standards and pace of work, or negotiations of hourly rates.

However, it will not be easy to win.If only because of the applicable regulations. W Stanach Zjednoczonych do założenia pełnoprawnego związku, który będzie mógł reprezentowaćemployees, wymagane jest poparcie co najmniej połowy załogi.In addition, Alabama is a state where employee traditions are rather unfavorable trade union activities.As if that was not enough, in Alabama the law "Right to work" is valid, i.e. provisions that allow employees to gain benefits negotiated by unions, although they do not belong to the relationships and do not add to membership fees.Employees do not have to lean and risk the anger of management to gain in the future if the relationships are won by e.g..increase.

In the face of a new vote, Amazon will certainly not wait with the arms folded.Only a few months after the first referendum he raised salaries in all warehouses in the country.High rotation in the plant also affects Amazon.For when employees employ for a short time, they do not bind to the workplace of their future, it is more difficult for them to engage in current disputes and fight to make the workplace better.

Amazon can again order the mandatory "talks" or renting the employee breaks of consultants.It is certain that without it he begins to put pressure on the organizers of the strike.Just a conversation about the relationship.Just behind her, as the American Business Insider described, the management of Amazon in Bessemer tried to discipline the employee.As a punishment, he moved him to a position where he can be easier to observe by his superiors.

Only now under such observation - and the whole world - is the Amazon magazine in Bessemer.