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Secret Amazon Reports Expose the Company's Surveillance of Labor and Environmental Groups (vice.com) 53

Posted by msmash from the closer-look dept.
A trove of more than two dozen internal Amazon reports reveal in stark detail the company's obsessive monitoring of organized labor and social and environmental movements in Europe, particularly during Amazon's "peak season" between Black Friday and Christmas. From a report: The reports, obtained by Motherboard, were written in 2019 by Amazon intelligence analysts who work for the Global Security Operations Center, the company's security division tasked with protecting Amazon employees, vendors, and assets at Amazon facilities around the world. The documents show Amazon analysts closely monitor the labor and union-organizing activity of their workers throughout Europe, as well as environmentalist and social justice groups on Facebook and Instagram. They also reveal, and an Amazon spokesperson confirmed, that Amazon has hired Pinkerton operatives -- from the notorious spy agency known for its union-busting activities -- to gather intelligence on warehouse workers. Internal emails sent to Amazon's Global Security Operations Center obtained by Motherboard also reveal that all the division's team members around the world receive updates on labor organizing activities at warehouses that include the exact date, time, location, the source who reported the action, the number of participants at an event (and in some cases a turnout rate of those expected to participate in a labor action), and a description of what happened, such as a "strike" or "the distribution of leaflets." Other documents reveal that Amazon intelligence analysts keep close tabs on how many warehouse workers attend union meetings; specific worker dissatisfactions with warehouse conditions, such as excessive workloads; and cases of warehouse-worker theft, from a bottle of tequila to $15,000 worth of smart watches.
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Secret Amazon Reports Expose the Company's Surveillance of Labor and Environmental Groups More

Secret Amazon Reports Expose the Company's Surveillance of Labor and Environmental Groups

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  • The question becomes (Score:3, Insightful)

    by smooth wombat ( 796938 ) on Monday November 23, 2020 @04:54PM (#60758558) Journal

    For all those who complain about these practices, are they willing to do something about it by not buying from Amazon? Or are they going to keep pulling out their credit card and purchase all those Chinese-made products?

    Wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, now would we?

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Actually, I do RTFA ( 1058596 )

      It's not hypocritical to want a more powerful entity (e.g. the government) to do something while still using Amazon.

      • It's a grey area because on the one hand you're usually buying from some company that uses Amazon as their sales front. On the other hand you're helping further enrich Amazon in the process, On the gripping hand, Amazon workers are more likely than not fulfilling your order anyway, therefore you're indirectly condoning Amazons' practices.
      • Haven't you been paying attention, handouts get the government off your back, business as usual.

    • Problems (Score:4, Insightful)

      by JBMcB ( 73720 ) on Monday November 23, 2020 @05:20PM (#60758688)

      For all those who complain about these practices, are they willing to do something about it by not buying from Amazon?

      Labor unions monitor Amazon. Amazon monitors labor unions. What is the problem here? Are they breaking any laws?

      • Indeed. They would be negligent if they didn't pay any attention to strikes, calls for strikes, etc.

        --
        a description of what happened, such as a "strike" or "the distribution of leaflets." Other documents reveal that Amazon intelligence analysts keep close tabs on how many warehouse workers attend union meetings; specific worker dissatisfactions with warehouse conditions, such as excessive workloads; and cases of warehouse-worker theft, from a bottle of tequila to $15,000 worth of smart watches.
        --

        Well - yea

      • What if someone who otherwise does their job and follows company policies is targeted and fired simply because they were overheard talking about how they think it would be a good thing to be unionized?

        • NLRB (Score:2)

          by JBMcB ( 73720 )

          I'm not sure how it works in Europe, but in the US that would be a violation of labor law, and any given union would be overjoyed to haul Amazon in front of the NLRB for a courtroom beating. Given how relatively powerful unions are in Europe, I'd imagine something close to the same thing happening.

          • To be clear: when I said 'targeted and fired' I meant them making something up non-related to talking about unionization, as a pretext to fire them.
            Or if it's California, they don't even have to have a reason; they can just 'lay someone off' and give no reason at all.
            Anyone who was stupid enough to tell a worker "you're being fired for talking about joining a union" would be the one fired.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        It shows bad faith on Amazon's part. They should engage with unions, not treat them as the enemy.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by whitroth ( 9367 )

        Are you being *paid* by Amazon, or just that stupid?

        Explain to me the difference between the unions reading news and reports... as opposed to Amazon's reading employee email, social media, and video watching them in real time in the warehouses.

    • Dude... I could save TENS of dollars....

    • For those who complain about those who complain— will you attempt to actually look for yourself or will you continue to make implied accusations in the form of inflammatory questions?

    • I for one go out of my way to avoid Amazon or Whole Foods because of their overall business practices, not just how their workers are (mis)treated.
      FWIW I also won't shop at Walmart or Hobby Lobby, or eat anything from Chick-Fil-A because of objections I have about their policies and practices.

    • For all those who complain about these practices, are they willing to do something about it by not buying from Amazon? Or are they going to keep pulling out their credit card and purchase all those Chinese-made products?

      Wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, now would we?

      Is your problem with Amazon practises, is it with its customers, is it with Chinese products, or is it with hypocrites? I cannot tell what and you seem like you have a lot of problems.

  • specific worker dissatisfaction with warehouse conditions and if that specific worker got fired then Under EU laws they are do an Big payout.

    • I think you mean "due", not, "do".

      But really, it makes perfect sense for Amazon to take note of worker complaints, right? That's a necessary step towards improving conditions, or at the very least to figure out where problems are.

  • Should not be a surprise to anyone. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by oldgraybeard ( 2939809 ) on Monday November 23, 2020 @05:06PM (#60758636)
    None of these big corps are the friends of normal people. They are all a threat to the Democratic Republic and the Constitution.

    • Yep. Fuck 'em. We can avoid them like the plague at the retail level— an entirely worthy activity, IMO— but further up the food chain it's all the same shit unless you're buying the rare thing made from scratch by an actual artisan.

      • I do not use Google as a search provider. And have removed them.
        I do not have a Facebook, Twitter or any other big tech social media accounts(I do have a slashdot.org account ;). Social Media is a wasteland.
        I have dropped all streaming services(just paying for commercials, commercials and more commercials), and going back to using my local media server with content I have collected over the years.

        It is amazing the time you have to do things you want to do when you drop video. Video is nothing but a huge

  • Curious. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Gravis Zero ( 934156 ) on Monday November 23, 2020 @05:09PM (#60758644)

    I wonder how much money they could save by not bothering with this shit and just paying their employees more.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by BoB235423424 ( 6928344 )

      Amazon has 1,000,000 employees. If they spend $100,000,000 annually (they likely spend much, much less than that) on this, that would come out to an extra $100 per employee per year. You're using the same flawed math that people use when they talk about reducing executive pay and instead giving raises to all employees. Or to tax the rich to pay for social plans for the masses. One lump sum that looks like a big number becomes nothing when spread out over a very large number of people.

      • Re:Curious. (Score:5, Informative)

        by jacks smirking reven ( 909048 ) on Monday November 23, 2020 @05:56PM (#60758886)

        Amazon shares are up 40% this year. Jeff Bezos increased his wealth by $73.2 billion this year. If one took *half* of that increase of just this one year the 1,000,000 employees would receive $36,600 each. That's probably more than or close to doubling some employees yearly wages.

        Yes yes, it's not cash, its stock and valuations etc etc but it kind of makes the point of the issue at hand.

        • More than doubling standard warehouse pay.

        • Well, giving the employees stock as part of their compensation would go a long way to turning their labor relations around. When employees have an ownership stake in the company it rearranges all the dynamics. Plus, the employees don't need to organize themselves as unions and strike to demand change, they can organize as shareholders and vote for it. Unions really only have one weapon, stock gives employees more while also providing protections as shareholders.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Actually, I do RTFA ( 1058596 )

        Taxing the rich to pay for social programs does indeed work. I mean, if you took 30% of just Bezos's increased wealth from this year alone, it could end hunger in the United States. Of course, if you spread it among the Forbes 400, its a modest 2% of wealth increase.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by galabar ( 518411 )
          If you liquidated a portion of Amazon, you could buy some food for a year?

          • If you sold 1.3% of Amazon, you could feed the entire US for a year. Bezos owns 12% of amazon, so that would be ~11% of his wealth. If you just ask the entire Fortune 400, it would only be 2% of their wealth. Their wealth has increased by 30-50% in the past year, so it's actually like a very light 10% tax on unrealized income.

            • Just think of all the good the money could be doing for people if Bezos wasn't spending it building some stupid gigantic clock in some cave somewhere.

              • Art projects are also good uses of his money. It at least can be a gift to humanity. His 20th $150MM mansion on the other hand actively hogs resources that could go to someone else.

                • No, no 'art projects', as if that underground abomination is such anyway, it's just for his oversized unhuman ego.

                  • I mean, Bezos has some disposable income. Spending it on something useless is objectively better than him hogging up amazing real estate other people could live in. I don't need him to be destitute - I'm fine with him having enough money to do stupid ego projects. He has enough money to do that and end hunger in America.

    • B-b-but Gravis, think of the bottom line! How are their top execs going to get their seven-digit bonuses by paying pesky peon worker-bees more money? That's just crazy talk! Honestly, these uppity 'employees' need to keep their place! /s
    • If they quit engaging in this sort of activity they would loose favor with the CIA.

      Considering they generate trillions of dollars they should end world hunger. Same with Apple, Google, et al.

      Paying their employees more would be nice too. Amazon is the 21st century McDonalds - billions served; trillions made and the workers are paid the lowest amount the company can legally get away with paying them.

  • Unionize NOW (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 23, 2020 @05:59PM (#60758900)

    Amazon workers: Join a union. You are powerless as individuals. As a whole, you can bargain. Anyone who tries to dissuade you wants to chain you. Watch their claims and then ask why doctors, actors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, dentists, accountants and academics have unions and you do not.

    Unions brought workers the 40 hr working week. Unions brought workers sick pay. Unions brought workers the right to safe working conditions. If you want your situation to improve a union is the only way.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by galabar ( 518411 )
      Competition created the 40 day work week: https://www.history.com/this-d... [history.com] not Unions.

      • I'm always astonished at how inward facing most people in the USA are. The 8 hour day was first introduced in 1593 in Spain. During the industrial revolution the 8 hour day and the 40 hour week became commonplace. The US wasn't the first, it was among the last to introduce controls and protections for workers, including the limit of number of hours a week you could force employees to work.

      • Kim-Yon Un is yealous of how brainwashed certain Americans are. Rumors have it, he lacks the lack of empathy and morals to go that far and with a smile that big.

  • My money is on: A few years from now, a report will show they cooperated with the Mafia, that hid behind Pinkerton, and bred it to dominate society enough to lead to the election of President Donald "Don" Incastinato, married to young Ms. Bezos.

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