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ICYMI: Last week’s issue covered predictions about the tech industry under a second Trump administration

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One! Less! Mandatory! Meeting!

Uh oh, Amazon got in hot water with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for making anti-union meetings mandatory for its workers!

Here’s what happened:

In 2022, workers at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse became the first in the nation to unionize. But before that successful union election, Amazon held hundreds of meetings all about the downsides of unionization. 

The kicker? These meetings were ✨ required ✨

And that’s the crux of the NLRB’s argument

Requiring employees to go to meetings essentially makes them a “captive audience” and can stifle their efforts to organize. In other words, Amazon was caught union-busting. 🫢

So the NLRB voted 3 to 1 to issue a ban on captive audience meetings, basically overruling the previous standard that helped make mandatory meetings about unionization so popular.

In a statement from the chairwoman of the labor board, Lauren McFerran stated: “Captive audience meetings…give employers near-unfettered freedom to force their message about unionization on workers under threat of discipline or discharge.”

But the fight’s not over yet

Amazon is likely to appeal this decision, arguing that the ruling violates the First Amendment and contradicts the National Labor Relations Act. Plus, the incoming administration could impact how this ban plays out in the long term.

Why should you care?

Understanding labor laws in big tech (and beyond) can equip you with more information to protect yourself and your job. That’s why we’ll keep looking out for you and sharing what we learn!

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