this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2024
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Work Reform

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago (5 children)

This makes me wonder wtf is wrong with Google's culture... I know wtf is wrong at Tesla - but is Google also a delusional libertarian breeding ground?

[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Having worked at Google there wasn't any anti-unuon propaganda or anything: it was just genuinely the best work environment I'd ever experienced... Right up until they laid me off.

So while I was there the thought of joining a union would have been "meh - what can they realistically get me?" and after the layoff was "oh yeah right they could've gotten me protection"

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Exactly. You don't join it for workplace perks, you join it for protection against unfair practices.

You have your fire insurance, your car insurance,life insurance. To me, a union is a work insurance. Always have been unionised and I always will be.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago

To be fair to my naive past self: it was the first mass layoff at Google, ever.

Based on my friends still there: the vibes are decidedly less trusting all around.

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

Tech is filled with people who think it’ll never happen to them.

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

I don't get why anyone from any company would say no. Do libertarians even believe what they say? wouldn't libertarians run companies be happy to take govt subsidies if it was offer to them?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

American Libertarians (in case you aren't familiar or for anyone else with the sentiment) tend to be very conservative compared to lowercase libertarianism as a whole, and especially compared to European libertarianism. Much more focused on classical liberalism, but also more likely to lean towards selfish solutions than community solutions.

Idk if you've had the pleasure of /r/libertarian on reddit, but that place was always conservative as hell with little room for anyone of the libertarian-socialist persuasion to have an opinion or any desire to come up with group-based solutions.

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

Google does a really good job convincing you they care with the shuttle system, cafeterias, break spaces, and otherwise.

It convinces you to work more than you would otherwise, too (sure, why not finish up that task on the shuttle with WiFi... Hey I'll just grab food here instead of go home. Food at home cost money anyway... Lemme just finish that thing before heading home now that I've had dinner...)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's part of the flaw in polling. AWU is a pretty substantial minority union (meaning they don't have bargaining rights) and they have unionized retail stores. However, Google is also a massive company

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

You're conflating leadership and fans with labor.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

In terms of Tesla? Not really - Elon Musk is openly anti worker so everyone hired there passes through an anti-union filter. He's also gotten in a lot of trouble for wrongful firings in the past.

A toxic CEO makes a toxic workplace.