Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete with FedEx, UPS

Re:Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete wi... by klenwell on Friday February 09, 2018 @01:11PM (#16342470)

For one political trend that answers your question in part:

According to the Legal Defense Foundation, right-to-work laws prohibit union security agreements, or agreements between employers and labor unions, that govern the extent to which an established union can require employees' membership, payment of union dues, or fees as a condition of employment, either before or after hiring. Right-to-work laws do not aim to provide general guarantee of employment to people seeking work, but rather are a government regulation of the contractual agreements between employers and labor unions that prevents them from excluding non-union workers,[2] or requiring employees to pay a fee to unions that have negotiated the labor contract all the employees work under.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law

As noted elsewhere in this subthread, UPS by contrast is unionized (or used to be or is in parts) and seems to offer a livable wage to its drivers.

Whereas the Gig Economy rationalization seems to be: "Show me the gun that was held to your head when you accepted this lousy job."

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Re:Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete wi... by Feniks on Friday February 09, 2018 @10:26PM (#16345686)

Usually there is actually a gun. People are desperate for jobs, because if you don't work you don't eat.

And exploiting desperate people can lead you down a dark path as a society... provided anyone in the US still gives a shit about empathy, morality and the value of life.

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Re:Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete wi... by refurb on Friday February 09, 2018 @01:30PM (#16342631)

I don't think Right to Work laws are the problem. I see no issue with not forcing employees to join a union. If the union actually does a good job, employees should want to join the union*.

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Re:Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete wi... by dash2 on Friday February 09, 2018 @05:01PM (#16344225)

The issue is that the union provides a public good. Strike for a pay rise? Your non-union colleagues will get that too. Hire a lawyer to sue for better health and safety? Employees who never paid their dues will benefit.

These concerns don't persuade me personally that Right to Work laws are bad. I'm just telling you they exist and probably have some validity.

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Re:Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete wi... by altotrees on Friday February 09, 2018 @06:03PM (#16344596)

I worked for UPS for a long time, and if I am understanding what you are saying then no, you must be a due-paying member of the IBT to benefit from contractually-negotiated benefits and pay. UPS corporate has a totally different set of benefits, pay, and expectations from their Teamster counterparts.

I may have misunderstood what you meant though.

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Re:Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete wi... by specialist on Saturday February 10, 2018 @12:52AM (#16346100)

Compulsory union membership strengthens collective bargaining by preventing defections. Game theory 101.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Logic_of_Collective_Action

The doublespeak "Right to Work" sabotages collective bargaining, disempowering Labor.

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Re:Amazon will launch its own delivery service to compete wi... by icebraining on Friday February 09, 2018 @02:57PM (#16343353)

How does that answer the question? Doesn't UPS provide services in right-to-work states as well? And vice-versa for Amazon?

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