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November 26, 2000
Day2/WashTech Scores a Field Goal
Amazon.com's management has announced three policy changes for its Seattle customer service employees in an attempt to quell their effort to unionize. Changes announced by Amazon management include removing the requirement that individual reps send out the company's official e-mail response regarding unionization efforts, reduced holiday phone shifts and free massages.
Employees in Seattle are gathering signatures on union petitions from their co-workers in their effort to build majority support for union recognition and ultimately a collective bargaining agreement.
Last Thursday, Amazon.com management asked Customer Service reps to send anti-union e-mail to customers who asked about the budding union drive. In the e-mail, Amazon's management said, "While unions do have a role in society, at Amazon.com, everyone is an owner and can exercise individual rights to raise any workplace issues or concerns at any time."
Day2/WashTech quickly responded that requiring individuals to send out such a message may be violation of US labor law because that individual may or may not agree with that statement, and that the message implies that "owners" cannot organize and exercise their collective rights. Under US law, management cannot interfere with a workers right to organize a union.
Amazon's management announced Monday that customer service reps will no longer be required to send out the company's official response to customers' questions regarding the union drive. Instead, they can forward those questions onto their supervisors, who will then send out the official response. Supervisors told customer service reps of the policy change via e-mail. "Basically, if reps are uncomfortable sending this blurb with their name on it, they have two options: They may feel free not to sign their name to this response when they send it, or they may tag themselves with the message and escalate it to their supervisor [who will then send the blurb]," said one supervisor in an e-mail to their direct reports.
Reduced Phone Shifts and Free Massages
Not only has management changed their policy regarding the e-mail, they also have eliminated mandatory phone shifts for some workers during Thanksgiving. These workers will still have to work, but instead of answering customer questions on the phones, they will be answering customer e-mails. "This actually is a big victory," said one Seattle rep who did not want to be named. "Phone shifts are very stressful." This worker credited the Day2/WashTech campaign for this change.
Free massages are also being handed out to help relieve the stress of customer service workers during the holiday season. Free massages during the holidays are not new. But earlier this year, before Day 2 started organizing, management informed customer service employees that massages would cost $15.00 each this season. Management has evidently decided that they can, in fact, foot the bill this holiday season now that they are facing a union drive.
Handing out additional benefits to workers that want to unionize is a standard practice by companies wanting to defeat an organizing drive. However, for JJ Wandler, who is a Day2/WashTech leader, these changes have not dampened his commitment for a majority and a contract. "My resolve is still as strong as ever to get us a contract. Only now I get a back rub to go along with it." |
