Katie Moussouris (she/her)🥜👋🏼Jan 21, 2023

As a bootstrapped founder I’ve certainly had to make staffing reductions to deal with contractions in the market before.

BUT — These tech multibillion dollar companies who saw record profits in the pandemic laying off thousands?

Not at all the same.
Not even in the same universe.

They are not cutting Executive pay or bonuses, which they could easily do if they were indeed running short on cash for regular payroll, which they aren’t.

It’s a straight up labor rights spirit crushing move & I wish they weren’t forcing people to sign their rights away like Elon did so the workers can’t seek class action relief.

We need tech workers unions the same as we need unions for all workers.

That’s right. I’m a CEO who is in favor of labor unions.

Because up until almost 7 years ago, I was a wage earning regular worker just like everyone else, PLUS I deeply understand business cash flow from a profit-driven company perspective.

I just choose to run my company with empathy for the workers, even in times of downsizing due to real market constrictions.

To all the workers in any industry who have been laid off due to mega billion dollar corporate greed, or for real market constrictions, I’m so sorry.

It’s not your fault.

You deserve better, especially more than what these profit giants gave you. Take a good break if you can and know your work is valuable.

Show threadChristie DudleyJan 21, 2023
@k8em0 As a side note, agreements where you sign your rights away in exchange for being paid what you are due is not actually signing any right away. That's unenforceable coercion.
Show threadKatie Moussouris (she/her)🥜👋🏼Jan 21, 2023

@longobord I wish you were correct in practice.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/16/23557210/twitter-workers-class-action-severance-lawsuit

Laid-off Twitter workers must drop class-action severance lawsuit, judge says

A group of Twitter employees has been ordered to drop their class action suit against Twitter, which accuses the company of not following through on its promised severance pay package.

The Verge
Show threadChristie DudleyJan 21, 2023
@k8em0 Oh, that's just been punted to arbitration. It's still working through procedure. They should get their day in arbitration court, which mostly involves retired judges and fortunately moves much faster than the courts.
Show threadNicole ParsonsJan 21, 2023

@longobord @k8em0

Arbitration paid by the more powerful side in litigation sn't "impartial justice ".

Show threadChristie DudleyJan 21, 2023
@Npars01 @k8em0 Actually, the way arbitration works is each side pays for it. Most certainly easier for large organizations, but they take lack of bias very seriously.
Show threadNicole ParsonsJan 21, 2023

@longobord @k8em0

In arbitration, you give up your right to appeal and your case cannot be used as legal precedent.

In many ways, arbitration is a flawed process.

Show threadChristie DudleyJan 22, 2023

@Npars01 @k8em0 In arbitration, you do NOT give up your right to appeal, although it's indeed tougher to do that.

Arbitration is a highly efficient process for dealing with conflict between two equal parties. Law is still being refined for when the parties are grossly unequal, such as between a large organization and an individual.

Show threadNicole ParsonsJan 22, 2023

@longobord @k8em0

In arbitration, financial settlements are often secret so others can't use it to bolster their own proceedings.

Arbitration agreements often muzzle the participants so they can't be made public. Investors, customers, and vendors are kept in the dark about a potential reputational risk.

Arbitration settlements can't be used as legal precedent to prevent future occurrences.

The employer can resume their pattern of conduct, just a "cost of doing business" so it continues.

Show threadChristie DudleyJan 22, 2023

@Npars01 @k8em0 See, the key word in there is "agreements". Also, you reference "settlements". These are things the parties agree to in order to put the conflict in the past. 95% of all lawsuits are better off that way.

Then again a good 80% of all lawsuits settle and many never even make it through discovery. Otherwise the cost to the public for the courts would be way more than anyone would be willing to pay in taxes.

Yes, the small percentage that aren't better off include potential class actions, efforts to make a change in the interpretation of the law, and rare edge cases which make news. The vast majority of cases don't make news because they're really boring or repetitive.

Show threadNicole Parsons

@longobord @k8em0

Fair enough.

However, that said, sexual harassment in the workplace was once considered "boring and repetitive" to entities such as Fox News under Ailes or Miramax under Harvey Weinstein.

Who decides what is boring and inconsequential?

Jan 22, 2023 at 9:32amWeb
Show threadChristie DudleyJan 22, 2023
@Npars01 @k8em0 The employee who had the foresight to opt out of the non-mandatory arbitration agreement in their work contract?