this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2024
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Work Reform

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[–] return2ozma@lemmy.world 48 points 3 months ago (2 children)

“I met Joe Biden,” Smalls said, referring to the 2022 meeting where the president referred to him as “my kind of trouble.”

Smalls was less enthusiastic. “I met [Biden], I met a lot of these politicians that we thought would be looking out for the working class. And y’all — there ain’t no cavalry coming. I met with Joe Biden for an hour, and I don’t remember the conversation — it was that bad. When I left the White House, I felt empty.”

Six months after that meeting, Amazon secured an $8 billion loan from the federal government. “And that just told me right there that, once again, if we don’t organize, nothing’s going to be given to us. Nobody’s going to be held accountable,” Smalls said.

“So it’s a must. It’s our duty. Because we’re at a point of no return. We have to organize ourselves. Because no amount of money in the world can stop the power of people when we come together.”

[–] circuitfarmer@lemmy.world 29 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Also why in the hell is a giant corporation like Amazon, with pockets do deep they exceed the GDP of many countries, getting a loan from the federal government. Make it make sense.

[–] Zipitydew@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 months ago (1 children)

That part seems wrong. Amazon has to announce stuff like that. SEC filing on the loan has a list of all the lenders and none of them are the government.

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000119312523000849/d429499dex101.htm

[–] ElleChaise@kbin.social 4 points 3 months ago

Maybe what they meant was that it's one of those things the government had to approve, similar to when big companies merge and the SEC has to weigh in first. Just a guess.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

WTF is the government doing loaning tax payer dollars to the richest man in the world?

[–] Notyou@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Rich people don't stay rich by spending their money. They get money in order to be able to spend other people's money.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I get that. What I don't get is why our government would be involved in loaning them our tax dollars. Usually the government borrows money through bonds, or backs loans. They don't usually directly loan our tax dollars out to wealthy corporations.

[–] Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 3 months ago

They tried to get a minimum wage increase out, it ended with this

[–] DeadPand@midwest.social 17 points 3 months ago (1 children)

While I agree that Biden isn’t really helping labor out, Smalls has been a disappointment in how he runs the union he helped start.

[–] Twentytwodividedby7@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

How? Remember when he was there with Sean Fein and the UAW?

[–] DeadPand@midwest.social 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Read the article, it links to another explaining Chris small’s own union complaining about his refusal to hold elections, they’ve asked a judge to force an election because Chris smalls refuses to do so after changing the union charter without a vote…

[–] VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works -1 points 3 months ago

Another union instantly has the same old problems but the left refuses to even consider the possibly of finding a better solution and instead gets mad at anyone who suggests it.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 16 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Of course good ol Bernie Sanders is out there in the crowd with the workers. He's the only authentic, legit politician I've ever seen.

Amazon sued the NLRB, arguing that the agency was unconstitutional and deprived the company of its First Amendment rights

Companies don't have first amendment rights, motherfucker! They're not people. IDC what some dumb ass Regan era law said. People are held accountable for their actions, and American companies are not. No rights without accountability.

[–] return2ozma@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago