Amazon anti-union propaganda, employee surveillance loom over labor vote at North Carolina warehouse

▤ Summary

Now, when he shows up for his shift at the shipping dock, Medelius-Marsano says hes met with flyers and mounted TVs urging him to "vote no," as well as QR codes on workstations that lead to an anti-union website. John Logan, a professor and director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, told CNBC in an email that Amazon has "perfected the weaponization" of technology, workplace surveillance and algorithmic management during anti-union campaigns "more than any other company." In a research paper published last week, Northwestern University PhD candidate Teke Wiggin explored Amazons use of algorithms and digital devices at the companys BHM1 warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. The following year, the Biden Administration put out a request for information on automated worker surveillance and management, noting that the systems can pose risks to employees, including "their rights to form or join a labor union." The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which sought to represent BHM1 workers, has said the AtoZ app can access a users GPS, photos, camera, microphone and WiFi-connection information.

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