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‘Lighting a fuse’ Amazon vote may spark more union pushes
What happens inside a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, could have major implications not just for the country’s second-largest employer but the labor movement at large.
Organizers are pushing for some 6,000 Amazon workers there to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union on the promise it will lead to better working conditions, better pay and more respect. Amazon is pushing back, arguing that it already offers more than twice the minimum wage in Alabama and workers get such benefits as health care, vision and dental insurance without paying union dues.
The two sides are fully aware that it’s not just the Bessemer warehouse on the line. Organizers hope what happens there will inspire thousands of workers nationwide — and not just at Amazon — to consider unionizing and revive a labor movement that has been waning for decades.
“This is lighting a fuse, which I believe is going to spark an explosion of union organizing across the country, regardless of the results,” says RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum.
The union push could spread to other parts of Amazon and threaten the company’s profits, which soared 84% last year to $21 billion. At a time when many companies were cutting jobs, Amazon was one of the few still hiring, bringing on board 500,000 people last year alone to keep up with a surge of online orders.
Bessemer workers finished casting their votes on Monday. The counting begins on Tuesday, which could take days or longer depending on how many votes are received and how much time it takes for each side to review. The process is being overseen by the National Labor Relations Board and a majority of the votes will decide the final outcome.
What that outcome will be is anyone’s guess. Appelbaum thinks workers who voted early likely rejected the union because Amazon’s messaging got to them first. He says momentum changed in March as organizers talked to more workers and heard from basketball players and high-profile elected officials, including President Joe Biden.
For Amazon, which employs more than 950,000 full- and part-time workers in the U.S. and nearly 1.3 million worldwide, a union could lead to higher wages that would eat into its profits. Higher wages would also mean higher costs to get packages to shoppers’ doorsteps, which may prompt Amazon to raise prices, says Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
In a statement, Amazon says it encouraged all its employees to vote and that “their voices will be heard in the days ahead.”
Any push to unionize is considered a long shot, since labor laws tend to favor employers. Alabama itself is a “right-to-work” state, which allows workers in unionized shops to opt out of paying union dues even as they retain the benefits and job protection negotiated by the union.
Kent Wong, the director of the UCLA Labor Center, says companies in the past have closed stores, warehouses or plants after workers have voted to unionize.
“There’s a history of companies going to great lengths to avoid recognizing the union,” he says.
Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer and biggest private employer, has successfully fought off organizing efforts over the years. In 2000, it got rid of butchers in 180 of its stores after they voted to form a union. Walmart said it cut the jobs because people preferred pre-packaged meat. Five years later, it closed a store in Canada where some 200 workers were close to winning a union contract. At the time, Walmart said demands from union negotiators made it impossible for the store to sustain itself.
The only other time Amazon came up against a union vote was in 2014, when the majority of the 30 workers at a Delaware warehouse turned it down.
This time around, Amazon has been hanging anti-union signs throughout the Bessemer warehouse, including inside bathroom stalls, and holding mandatory meetings to convince workers why the union is a bad idea, according to one worker who recently testified at a Senate hearing. It has also created a website for employees that tells them they’ll have to pay $500 in union dues a month, taking away money that could go to dinners and school supplies.
Amazon’s hardball tactics extend beyond squashing union efforts. Last year, it fired a worker who organized a walkout at a New York warehouse to demand greater protection against coronavirus, saying the employee himself flouted distancing rules. When Seattle, the home of its headquarters, passed a new tax on big companies in 2018, Amazon protested by stopping construction of a new high-rise building in the city; the tax was repealed four weeks later. And in 2019, Amazon ditched plans to build a $2.5 billion headquarters for 25,000 workers in New York after pushback from progressive politicians and unions.
Beyond Amazon is an anti-union culture that dominates the South. And unions have lost ground nationally for decades since their peak in the decades following World War II. In 1970, almost a third of the U.S. workforce belonged to a union. In 2020, that figure was 10.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Private sector workers now account for less than half of the 14.3 million union members across the country.
Advocates say a victory would signal a shift in the narrative about unions, helping refute the typical arguments from companies, including Amazon, that workers can win adequate compensation and conditions by dealing with management directly.
“It is because of unions that we have a five-day work week. It is because of unions that we have safer conditions in our places of work. It is because of unions that we have benefits,” says Rep. Terri Sewell, whose congressional district includes the Amazon facility. “Workers should have the right to choose whether they organize or not.”
Union leaders are circumspect about specific organizing plans after the Bessemer vote, and Appelbaum says he doesn’t want to tip off Amazon to any future efforts. But there is broad consensus that a win would spur workers at some of the 230 other Amazon warehouses to mount a similar union campaign.
It’s less clear whether any ripple effects would reach other prime targets like Walmart and the expansive auto industry that has burgeoned across the South in recent decades. Both have largely succeeded at keeping unions at bay.
The auto workers union has had some of the largest union pushes of the last decade, but their most intense and publicized efforts ended in failure. In 2017, a years-long campaign to unionize a Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi, ended with a decisive 2,244-1,307 rejection of the union — the kind of margin that would be devastating in Bessemer. Two years later, however, Volkswagen workers in Tennessee had a much more evenly split vote, with 776 workers supporting unionization and 833 voting against it.
Besides the number of Amazon workers involved, the Alabama campaign has stood out because of how explicitly many advocates have linked the effort to the civil rights movement of the 20th century. The RWDSU estimates that more than 80% of the warehouse workers in Bessemer are Black.
Robert Korstad, a Duke Emeritus professor and labor history expert, says those dynamics could help in Bessemer.
“The history of the Black struggle in Alabama is pretty deeply entrenched in the social, political and religious institutions there,” he says. “We’re starting to see people rise up again. So this Amazon struggle is part of a larger struggle that’s gone on a long time.”
The question, Korstad says, is whether a win in Bessemer truly becomes a “ripple effect” that inspires workers across racial and ethnic lines elsewhere.
By JOSEPH PISANI and BILL BARROW
Looking at societies nowadays, you will see that almost everything we do on a daily basis, be it for personal, educational, or even career purposes, is heavily intertwined with technology. This innovative approach to dealing with almost all life aspects can be simply achieved from the tranquility of any intelligent device at our disposal. The extensive reliance on these devices has put us in awe of the endless possibilities technology can deliver to humanity. Technological innovations are no longer confined to entertainment limitations, such as social media, communication, or even transportation. The extensive incorporation of technology is re-shaping how societies and communities function, shifting the dynamic to make technology a way of living instead of a means of entertainment. A tech career is now considered one of the best career paths as the world, as a whole, takes a technological shift with the global embrace of digital transformation. So, is technology a good career path?
Is Tech Worth Getting Into?
The tech industry has been on exponential growth, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is expected to maintain its rise in the years to come. Almost every company is embracing the digital transformation wave, increasing economies’ reliance on the tech industry. And with this widespread reliance comes a more considerable responsibility for the tech industry to meet expectations. This means providing the proper support for the driving force behind technology adoption and advancement by increasing the demand for specific tech-related jobs and supporting individuals seeking such career endeavors.
Since its emergence, technology has maintained a fast development, and with the hasty adoption of digital means, it will maintain its growth. Nowadays, various technologies are considered the pillars that will help shape countries’ economic growth. From cloud computing, AI and machine learning to blockchain and much more, technology has become a key pillar in almost all sectors, such as finance, engineering, manufacturing, health, and others.
From there, it is only rational to conclude that technology will drive the need for a more expanded tech career path. In 2018, it was recorded that the need for an AI-based workforce doubled since 2015, with the openings increasing by an estimate of 119 percent.
The need to further encourage innovations and critical thinkers will drive economic sectors’ growth and, in return, answer to the 21st Century’s accumulating financial problems. And for that to come to fruition, pursuing a career path in some of the leading global technologies such as data science, AI, and even software development will be vital in reconceptualizing the tech industry.
Why is Tech a Good Career Path?
There are many reasons to consider when asking the question, is technology a good career path? First and foremost, when pursuing the option of a tech-focused career path, one must understand why entering the tech industry could hold a wide range of benefits to the pursuer.
Even though the pandemic played a fundamental role in extending the need for the tech industry, this need will indefinitely linger on. Even though the volume of tech positions plummeted during the pandemic, some of the world’s most influential and prominent economies shifted their hiring strategies toward tech graduates. This hiring drive is expected to linger till 2030 to accommodate the global shift towards adopting more innovative approaches such as cloud storage, as well in support of implementing sustainable strategies worldwide.
The shift following the pandemic, accredited to the heightened fixation on accelerating digital transformation, will further increase the demand for specific technology jobs, intensifying the demand for such positions. This means in the future, almost any traditional profession will be replaced with the digital or tech-associated one to meet the digital needs of the market.
This will lead to a wide variety of career opportunities in numerous industries, such as a programmer in health, education, transportation, communication, financial services, and even retail.
What are the Benefits of Having a Career in Technology?
As the tech industry is rapidly evolving and manifesting into a colossus of opportunities, its deliverance of progressive career prospects holds notable personal significance for individuals seeking to enter the field. Companies are transforming their frameworks to keep up with the technological aspect of the future of work. And to those planning to join the tech market soon, the industry holds diversified opportunities as long as they are willing to accommodate the industry’s instantaneous change to obtain its big rewards while competing with new and rising talents.
Choosing the right career path in the tech industry is pivotal as it will adequately direct the person to their future with a high-paying salary. There is money to be made when working in the tech industry, given that the industry itself generates a hefty capital to invest in its innovations and projects.
For most tech jobs, experience is associated with money. The more a person attains knowledge and expertise in their tech career, the higher the salary will be. Some of these careers focus on machine learning, AI, and developing data models.
Another beneficial factor lies in understanding the importance of the job you are seeking within the industry. It is no surprise that technology is one of the pillars shaping the modernization of the world’s revolutionizing advancement. For instance, careers focusing on AI are in high demand, as the sector is expansively growing year-over-year, primarily since machine learning provides deep profundity for other sectors to leverage its endless possibilities, such as energy, management, retail, marketing, software development, and more.
Closing Thoughts
A career in technology is worth the effort and time invested in it. But, unless the pursuer of such a path is genuinely interested and intrigued by its possibilities and ready to face its challenges, this may not be the right path to pursue. A career in technology is based on a passion for technology and innovations. It can be endorsed with the willingness to learn new technologies and develop the right mentality to find the right solutions for complicated problems that have not existed. While there are many pros and cons to working in the tech industry, saying “is technology a good career path?” might come off as relatively vague and generalized. The main question should be, what career path within the tech industry do I want to seek, and is that direction suitable for my career needs.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the Tech industry. Keep an eye on our Community section to stay informed and updated with our daily articles.
Over the past few years, India immensely benefited from Western technologies in various aspects. For a country with a relatively fractured economy, technology swooped in to simplify and accelerate mass production for an extensively increased population, allowing them to improve their production of raw materials, typically traded in global economies. Adopting western technology in India is becoming a significant factor driving the country’s economy and achieving its economic growth goals. In this piece, So, how did India benefit from western technology?
Science and Technology in India
The history of science and technology in India emerged when the country was under the influence of the British regime that lasted almost 150 years. Science and technology in India flourished the country as it accounts for some of the most prominent scientists and mathematicians, which in return, with time, delivered the famous Indian numeral system creating today’s mathematics, and modern accounting, and made computer technology a plausible future.
Yet, India flourishing in terms of its scientific and technological development was heavily influenced by British colonialism, as the colonial experience was solemnly based on imposing a certain level of control on Indian territory and resources. British colonialism did not leave room for Indian knowledge and expertise to flourish, limiting accessibility to proper education and scientific opportunities that would’ve contributed to the country’s independent economic growth.
India’s experiment with socialism and colonialism that lasted almost four decades brought on local innovation based on domestic innovations. This halted India’s economic growth until the 1900s. During that time, companies were nothing but modest small enterprises taking over small projects with primary technologies that lacked a supportive capital efficiency.
Throughout that period emerged the era of pre-liberalized India, where foreign technologies were not accessible, mainly driven by the lack of the needed resources to support economic growth. This led to what is today known as India’s path of ”techno-nationalism” where the country finally reached a level of self-reliance in terms of developing its own technologies for both public and governmental sectors, such as nuclear, defense, energy, and much more.
What Technological Advancements did the British Bring to India?
British colonialism heavily affected India’s technological adoption in terms of textile technologies. The country’s vague influence by the imposed colonialism can be attributed to India’s organizational and institutional environments where most of the development was mainly associated with the mercantile families with almost no knowledge or expertise-based in managing modern tech. The lack of interest in technological development derived from the fact that such families focused on financial dealings; therefore, the British were in charge of the country’s technological development.
At the time, critical technologies such as the railways, electric telegraph, and steamer were some of India’s most significant alterations, creating the pillars for the country’s growth in the 21st Century. These big technologies attracted the attention of some of the most renowned scholars, which positively affected the fundamental fabric of societies, revolutionizing today’s day-to-day lives.
Such technologies enticed further awareness from important figures that could contribute to the country’s economic growth than those relatively smaller technologies. While weaving looms, spinning wheels, rice hullers, bicycles, steel pens, and even typewriters did endorse India’s modernization, it did so slowly, unlike the overspread of significant technologies.
India’s Western Culture
As a secular country, where people have the utmost freedom to practice whatever ancient religion they choose, the country’s extended its embrace of the westernized culture established by British colonialism. As one of the richest cultures in the world, the country’s history dating back to several thousands of years, was abruptly changed throughout time due to the conquest of European power intertwined with the British rule of Indian territories.
The westernization of the Indian societal culture created westernized subcultural patterns in a minority of Indian territories which later on branched out to emerge as a newly synthesized western Indian culture.
The westernization of India brought forth the establishment of new economic, political, and cultural branches in the country’s societal ecosystem. And with the country’s open mindset and attitude toward scientific discoveries and emerging technologies, scientific and technological means were no longer a symbol of British colonialism but rather a means to consolidate their ruling.
How did India Benefit from Western Technology?
The establishment of British technologies in Indian territories introduced a new world to an ancient culture through an imperialistic establishment in the country. The introduction of big western technologies during that period birthed a remarkable development in the country’s infrastructure, creating diversified job opportunities branching into various sectors.
India’s adoption of western technologies played a fundamental role in hastening the country’s independence from the imposed ruling. Numerous technologies associated with industries, factories, mines, and ammunition centers rose, supporting the country’s future freedom while creating a suitable base for a robust relationship with the western world, notably Europe and the U.S.
Such relationships account for India’s current arms and ammunition power, in addition to its technological and internet growth, resulting in some of the most prominent companies in the world setting operations in the country, such as Big Tech giants Google and Amazon.
Summary
The answer as to how did India benefit from western technologies lies in the the introduction of a capital-intensive and labor-saving technology in a country that holds significant symbolism concerning the direction of its economic growth. India’s beneficiating of the western technologies brought forth endless opportunities for a once colonized country and faced persistent challenges when seeking its independence. Technology plays a remarkable role in directing India on that path. Now, India is considered the new Silicon Valley as it has established a robust technology-based economy.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology section to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.
Urbanization has been taking over worldwide for the past few decades, with people moving to cities planning to be sustainable cities of the future.
The UN-Habitat estimates that since 2009, over three million people have moved into cities every week. Urban areas have been attractive destinations for migrants hoping to find a higher standard of living and better jobs.
The UN has dedicated a sustainable development goal (SDG) to slow down human-induced climate change. While migrants contribute significantly to the economies of cities, increasing populations introduce problems of distribution of resources, congestion, and increased pressure on waste management healthcare, infrastructure, and education.
It is estimated that by 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities, making the concept of sustainable cities an efficient resolution to the growing population.
Sustainable Cities with a Cleaner Future
Sustainable cities with a cleaner future have a role in the urbanization movement to enhance residents’ lives by focusing on futuristic and environmental initiatives. The aim is to have eco-friendly cities focusing on restricting CO2 gas emissions in the air, employing renewable energy sources, or conveying awareness of ecological issues.
Considering that outdoor pollution kills around three million lives yearly, mostly in cities, it is evident that urbanization can increase the environmental effect on towns. Many cities worldwide have redesigned their city planning strategies and started with initiatives to target these issues directly.
Arcadis, a leading global design and consultancy firm for natural and built assets, created a list of 100 sustainable cities worldwide that have contributed to projects and initiatives to resolve urbanization’s effects on the environment.
According to Arcadis’s Index, examples of innovative, sustainable cities of the future and one of the sustainable cities in the world are:
Zurich
Taking first place with a total score of 87.9 percent. Zurich started many projects that ranked its first place, such as their long-term goal to become a 2000-watt society by 2050.
Another project was the Green City Zurich project, which seeks to maintain and improve all green spaces. These challenging goals are achievable when the government gives investment funds, focuses on renewable sources and energy efficiency, and increases the public’s awareness of sustainability.
Sydney
Also, one of the most sustainable cities that had considerable impact on battling climate change for their residents is Sydney. Coming out in the top 10, Sydney started the Sustainable Sydney 2030 initiative to reduce the city’s carbon emissions by 70 percent.
This plan will help the residents because breathing air quality will improve and restore dying ecosystems. In addition, Sydney pictures a Smart City for the future to enhance public transportation, bring its citizens together and make the city more sustainable.
Copenhagen and Rome
On another note, the most eco-friendly city in the world is Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen which has been voted the most eco-friendly city many times because of its dedication to creating green ways of living and sustainability. Biking is the most fashionable means of transportation in this town, and it strives to have half of its people cycling to work or school this year.
Politicians, city planners, and other organizations developed initiatives and sustainability projects for cities; however, many ideas have been embedded in the public. For example, ranking seven in Arcadis, Rome began the Participate 3- Year Project that allows citizens to contribute to potential solutions for urban problems. Sustainable and innovative solutions like this will enable the public to engage in the transformation of their cities and develop practical answers.
Sustainable cities and communities are a great way to combat urbanization issues; Smart Cities improve the quality of life through better communication technologies and efficiency of urban operations while enveloping sustainable cities’ core values.
Smart Cities and Related IoT Projects
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) which is vigorously contributing to transforming Dubai into the most innovative city globally. DEWA developed a broad strategy to implement smart electricity and water infrastructure to support this objective; it is called a “Smart Grid.”
It will deliver state-of-the-art components and includes automated decision-making and interoperability across the entire water and electricity network. DEWA’s Smart Grid Programme, with investments totaling $1.9 billion, supports the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the most innovative and happiest city in the world.
The program is a critical element of DEWA’s strategy to develop an advanced infrastructure. It sustains the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Emissions Strategy 2050 to deliver 100 percent of the energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.
Summary
The concept of sustainable cities is pivotal to having more people live in those cities that will be less polluted than before. This process will guarantee the “sustainable” move of the people to cities without reconsidering moving out the fact that they will feel comfortable staying there. For example, renewable energy industries continue to reach unprecedented growth worldwide. For that reason, not only cities are becoming ecofriendly but different communities and industries around the world, taking the world to another aspect.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the Tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology news section to stay informed and updated with our daily articles.
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Ian Terblanche, Global Strategic Sales & Channel Director at Sigfox
