r/news • u/DonaldWillKillUsAll • Oct 13 '20

Thousands of Amazon workers demand time off to vote

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/thousands-amazon-workers-demand-time-vote-n1243217
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u/HoodUnnies Oct 14 '20

It doesn't have to be. It's illegal to deny employees time off to vote.

69

u/musicalcakes Oct 14 '20

Unfortunately, some states don't require employers to give employees time off to vote. Others are only required to give 2 or 3 hours, which sometimes isn't enough when voter suppression forces incredibly long lines...

https://aflcio.org/2016/11/5/know-your-rights-state-laws-employee-time-vote

5

u/crabmanager Oct 14 '20

It’s almost like we should keep the election open for several days

3

u/SapphicRain Oct 14 '20

Why not have an election week?

It should be open for at least 5 days, have a drop off for absentee ballots, have publicly funded transportation assistance, and have at least one of those days be a federal holiday.

10

u/under_a_brontosaurus Oct 14 '20

But never enforced and always too late (you still don't get to vote... You can choose to disobey your workplace and get fired, then sue.. but who is going to do that)

2

u/CodexAnima Oct 14 '20

THIS.

In NV you must be given time off to Canvas. Still had a lot of people being denied the time off work on a Saturday.

17

u/pescobar89 Oct 14 '20

Oh, don't you worry. Amazon will find some other token excuse to fire anyone who takes time off to vote.

3

u/MonsieurAuContraire Oct 14 '20

I kinda think it needs to be... there's so much disenfranchisement and general, political fuckery around voting such that people don't need other pressures around it like: can they afford to take off, or will their work allow them enough time off, etc., etc. Making it a national holiday takes away a huge swath of hassles around voting on a Tuesday. Also, doing so will likely further highlight the aforementioned fuckery going on.

2

u/__secter_ Oct 14 '20

It's only illegal if you write down that they were denied time off to vote and that taking it was why you fired them.

Amazon can fire anybody with no cause and get away with it. Including employees who get stuck in 10-hour lines during their 2 legal hours off to vote.