this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2024
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Work Reform

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[–] [email protected] 66 points 1 year 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.”

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year 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

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago

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

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

It can be both - Biden admin has objectively done more for workers than most American presidents AND it's still not enough. Acknowledge both in criticism. Look at the auto workers Union president and see the more balanced approach there - hold his feet to the fire and reserve your endorsement, make them take some action to earn the endorsement, then don't take the pressure off after giving it.

This just feels like anti labor press working to divide people that are overwhelmingly on the same side. Smalls isn't trained for this work, he's organically found himself in this position and he motivates people which is good, but it will always be easy for the machine to use his words against him as he's not the classic polished, careful representative typically in that spot.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

the image preview looks ... German

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

By design probably. Most news outlets in America are for spreading misinformation in subtle ways. The true enemy of the people are the rich regardless of their skin tone. They want us to hate each other for our sex our race etc etc but once everyone realizes the ones with the money are the problem then, just maybe...we can win.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Feels very intentional

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Certainly the GOP will help, lol. What's his angle here? I don't get it. And him not remembering a conversation tells more about him than about Biden.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Believe it or not, you can criticize the sitting dem president and not think Trump is better. If a president has claimed to be pro-union, but appears to union leaders to not be doing enough, that's a valid critique.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I absolutely agree, but in this climate any vote swayed from Biden is a danger for the entire planet. I don't particularly like a two party system, much less a one oarty system.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Biden is swaying voters against himself, by himself. Calling him out on his bullshit and having him change is what energizes the base. Don't want Trump? Force Biden's hand.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You know Biden broke trumps record on oil production, right? The world can't afford America, Dem or republican.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's not just climate at stake, there are basic liberties and some level of worldwide stability that we used to give for granted, which are going to be a thing of the past if Trump goes back to office.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Meh, we're passed the point of no return.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't believe it, that's my point. The point of no return is getting trump back

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The point of no return was maybe citizens United, or when Bush stole the election from Gore. Every month has been the hottest month ever recorded for like the past year dude, we're cooked.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Still not a good reason to vote trump