Amazon: But ackshually they technically aren't Amazon employees
Amazon: But ackshually they technically aren't Amazon employees
Amazon doesn’t want anyone to think the drivers work for it.
A lawyer almost certainly told execs that this was an illegal attempt to misclassify employees. I think we're getting to a place where if people do things even though a lawyer tells them it's illegal, they are personally liable (jointly with the org itself) for the decision even in the context of a limited liability organization. And if the lawyer is incompetent enough to tell them that it's legal, they need to be disbarred and potentially liable for the damages.
I dont get how they can say "well they are not employees" but yet one of their drivers thought he heard some racist comments from a doorbell, their complaint then locked down that persons amazon account for all services for a week? I cant yell racist shit at the UPS driver (first off, not me, also why yell at them at all?) and get all the things that anime-waifus-monthly-box.org locked down for it?? No. They are riding a fence here and also making it higher so when they fall it will just hurt more.
Classically the scam is to hire an individual and tell them they are a contractor. Amazon has actually subcontracted to a separate company that employs the drivers. Yes they basically setup the subcontractors, but afaik the IRS actually sees the drivers as employees of the contractor company.
Now the NLRB may have a different opinion when it comes to Amazon using this structure to disrupt union formation. There's a reason they are trying so hard to win this idea that the drivers don't work for Amazon. They're afraid the NLRB and courts won't see this their way.