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[-] the_radness@lemmy.world 109 points 2 months ago

Engineering is a skilled trade. We need our own union like every other skilled labor group.

[-] Lexam@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago

And they are smart enough to put us at the very bottom of the management ladder, even though we're not actually management. That way we can't legally unionize. In the U.S. at least.

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 months ago

That way we can’t legally unionize. In the U.S. at least.

This must vary state-by-state, or have exceptions, because I could name examples of them (but I would rather not dox myself).

[-] Lexam@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

It's not every company, but that is what mine did. We're "management" but we don't manage anyone.

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 months ago

Given how "business-friendly" the US has become, I imagine there are all sorts of loopholes that only work in favor of the corporation.

[-] nforminvasion@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

There doesn't need to be loopholes anymore. The SC will just blatantly rule in favor of companies.

In case anyone has missed it, they're done with loopholes, done with being sly and coy. They are saying the quiet parts, they are marching proudly, they are confident and unafraid. We need to make them afraid again.

The right wing and its corporate masters are done hiding in shadow. Loopholes and subterfuge are for chumps when you can just change the rules without consequence.

[-] Vandals_handle@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Classifying employees as management without having actual management duties is a violation of federal labor law. You might be owed back wages/overtime. Could be worth looking into. A class action lawsuit against a previous employer I had led to hundreds of employees getting checks for thousands of dollars, even after lawyers took their fee.

Some technical jobs can be legally classified exempt from overtime. That is different than being classified as management.

[-] Ragnarok314159@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago

They just give us the PM title and call it a day. No court is going to take that seriously and allow a massive lawsuit.

[-] kyle@lemm.ee 12 points 2 months ago

I agree. I'm in pre-sales working at an AWS partner and honestly our whole team is treated as dispensable.

[-] the_radness@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I have been laid off from every job (5 in total) since the pandemic. We are a subhuman commodity. Companies that are hiring now are exploiting the market by offering lower salaries.

Meta and Amazon are in their hiring season and they'll start their layoffs again next spring or summer. And somehow, everyone forgets this fucked up cycle keeps happening in perpetuum.

We need to stop being afraid of mentioning the U word. We need better protection and rights as employees.

[-] roofuskit@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

At Amazon literally every employee is dispensable. They have a firing quota.

Edit: to be clear I'm talking about the Amazon divisions outside the warehouse. They make managers fire a certain percentage of people on a regular basis.

[-] dufkm@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

Depending on your country, that is the norm. Engineers here have at least 2 national unions to choose from, finance have a couple of unions, same with teachers, admin staff, etc. etc.

As usual, this is probably just US being victim of 'merican exceptionlism.

[-] naught@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 months ago

"Skilled labor" is such a bullshit concept

[-] BombOmOm@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

There are jobs that take weeks to learn, jobs that take years to learn, and there are even jobs that take a decade+ to learn. You ain’t putting the three-week old newbie in the latter two roles.

[-] naught@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

That's true, but it devalues other labor which can be similarly/more difficult or skilled. I skimmed this article, but it seems to convey what I mean:
https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/insights/reshaping-narrative-time-retire-term-unskilled-labor

I understand what people mean when they say "skilled labor" and I don't think it's intended negatively normally fwiw

this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2024
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