|
|
Workers at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island, New York—about 5,000 in all—will hold a vote at the end of next month on whether they should form a union.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the workers pushing for the union at the JFK8 facility face an “uphill climb.” Firstly, no Amazon location has ever successfully voted in favor of unions and this facility—like many—has a high turnover rate. The work-life of many of these employees involves the preparation of hundreds of packages an hour, and burnout is common.
The Trends Journal has been reporting extensively on the push for unionizations among workers who are stuck in menial, low-paid jobs with no room for career growth, while the companies they work for pull in record profits. (See “STARBUCKS STORE TO UNIONIZE, A TOP TREND FOR 2022?” “ACTIVISION STUDIO GROUP WILL FORM A UNION, SOLIDIFYING TRENDS JOURNAL FORECAST,” “POLITICO JOURNALISTS FORM UNION. A TREND OF THE TIMES” and “REI: UNIONIZATION TREND EXPANDS AS FORECAST.”)
We reported in our 8 February issue, in an article titled, “UNIONIZATION ON-TREND: AMAZON WORKERS VOTE TO UNIONIZE” that Amazon has been accused of going “all out” to kill unionization bids in their crib.
The company told the Journal that it agreed to the vote because “we want our employees to have their voices heard as soon as possible.” Amazon said it is skeptical if the workers there have enough votes.
Unions need support from at least 30 percent of eligible workers in order to hold an official election under the supervision of the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, according to the agency’s policies.
The workers want the Seattle-based company to change its break policies and performance goals. The vote will be held in a tent outside the facility for five days to prevent company interference.
“We got five weeks to make history,” Chris Smalls, a former Amazon employee and president of the group seeking unionization called Amazon Labor Union.
The Gothamist reported that despite Amazon’s statement about its desire to have its workers’ voices heard, staffers at the facility have already received text messages urging a “NO” vote. Smalls reposted the message that read, “We encourage every eligible associate at JFK8 to vote in the election, make your voice heard, and vote NO.”
Smalls wrote, “They ain’t wasting no time.”
TREND FORECAST: Unionization will continue to be a Top Trend; the more limited the supply of workers (made worse by “No Jab, No Job” mandates; (see “WANT TO KEEP YOUR JOB? GET THE JAB!” and “NO JAB, NO JOB. VACCINE MANDATES ‘WORKING’”), the more powerful the trend toward unionization will be.
And, as inflation continues to rise faster than wages, corporations that wish to incentivize their workforce to do and give the best they can, will raise the pay scale to levels higher than inflation rates. In doing so, they will create atmospheres of mutual appreciation.
TREND FORECAST: Among the reasons there is a shortage of workers is that they no longer want to work for poverty level wages, and after being locked down and having the time to reflect on their lives, many assessed the worthlessness of their jobs in their personal development.
As Gerald Celente has long said, “When people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it.” Therefore, as socioeconomic conditions continue to deteriorate, “NEW WORLD DISORDER,” one of our 2020 Top Trends, will escalate as billions take to the streets, demonstrating against the lack of basic living standards, crime, violence, and government corruption.
And now, after it was disrupted when the COVID War began in 2020 and governments forbade people from protesting, the demonstrators are now back on the streets.
As inflation skyrockets and wages decline, this past Friday, mass demonstration took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital city as teachers and government workers peacefully marched, calling on the government to raise their wages and pensions as inflation eats away at their income.
Indeed, according to the island’s Institute of Statistics, power and water bills are nearly 60 percent higher in Puerto Rico than the U.S. average. Groceries are 18 percent more expensive than on the mainland. They are also protesting the privatization of schools and government services.
What is now going on in Puerto Rico, will spread globally as Dragflation—economic decline, rising inflation—spikes across the globe.