Amazon ordered to reinstate warehouse worker who was fired after protest

Amazon is facing legal consequences for its history of firing protest participants. The New York Timesreports that judge Benjamin Green has ordered Amazon to reinstate warehouse worker Gerald Bryson, who was fired from his role at Staten Island’s JFK8 facility (the one that just voted to unionize) after allegedly violating language policies during a COVID-19 safety protest on April 6th, 2020. Green sided with a National Labor Relations Board argument that Amazon retaliated against Bryson for protesting, and reportedly used a “skewed” investigation to find pretexts for firing the employee.

Bryson (pictured above) had been protesting outside JFK8 and called for Amazon to shut down the warehouse for safety reasons. He got into a row with a female employee who said she was grateful for the work. Only Bryson was fired despite the two trading insults — the woman received a written warning. The people Amazon interviewed for its investigation provided “one-sided, exaggerated” versions of events, according to Green, including claims of racial slur use that weren’t supported by video evidence. Amazon didn’t interview the person who recorded the video.

The judge also found that Amazon had previously issued lighter punishments for more serious infractions (such as the use of violence). The company also didn’t provide all the documents requested in a subpoena.

In a statement to The Times, Amazon said it “strongly disagree[s]” with Green’s decision and claimed the NLRB wanted the company to “condone” Bryson’s behavior. The tech giant planned to appeal the decision with the NLRB.

Amazon has been repeatedly accused of retaliating against staff who challenge its policies. Safety protest leader Chris Smalls accused the company of firing him for highlighting poor safeguards against COVID-19. Maren Costa and Emily Cunningham, meanwhile, were supposedly fired for being vocal critics of Amazon’s climate and labor practices. Amazon said these workers were dropped for violating policy, but opponents rejected those assertions.

Bryson’s win comes as Amazon faces a growing backlash from workers. On top of the successful unionization vote at JFK8, the company is grappling with a close rerun election for unionization at an Alabama warehouse as well as a looming vote at a second Staten Island facility. Employees are increasingly demanding better treatment, and the company’s attempts to quash dissent aren’t always proving successful.

Google lets you explore new heritage sites with help from the State Department

The US Department of State is making it easier for people to explore cultural heritage sites from around the world thanks to a partnership with Google Arts & Culture. Announced as part of World Heritage Day, the dedicated section will let people virtually explore heritage sites from 1,100 Ambassadors Fund projects in over 130 countries around the world.

“Cultural heritage sites, objects, and traditions are a point of pride for people the world over, but they also require care and vigilance,” wrote the US Department of State’s Lee Satterfield. “That’s why the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center works with governments and organizations to preserve and protect cultural heritage from both natural and man-made threats through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).”

Some of the sites on display include the Wat Chaiwatthanaram at Ayutthaya in Thailand, the al-Imam al-Shafi’i Mausoleum in Egypt and the Ancient Nabataean Flash Flood Protection System at Petra. All told, the Cultural Heritage Center added over 100 new images of sites. Along with those, there’s a story about cultural heritage preservation, complete with video and images, created by the US Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center.

The Cultural Heritage Center promised to update the site with future stories down the road. And since the biggest threat to heritage sites is climate change, it also pointed folks to Google Arts & Culture’s Heritage on the Edge project. 

Workers at Apple’s Grand Central Terminal store are moving toward a union vote

Apple Store employees at the company’s flagship Grand Central Terminal location have begun collecting signatures to form a union, according to The Washington Post. In a recent update to their website, the organizers leading the effort say they voted on…

Wikipedia editors vote to block cryptocurrency donations

Wikipedia editors have voted in favor of dropping cryptocurrency from the Wikimedia Foundation’s donation options. As Ars Technica reports, an editor for the online encyclopedia called GorillaWarfare wrote a proposal for the foundation to stop accepting cryptocurrencies, as they are “extremely risky investments.” They also pointed out that cryptocurrencies may not align with the foundation’s commitment to environmental sustainability. 

One of the biggest controversies surrounding cryptocurrencies is that mining, spending and trading them use massive amounts of energy. That’s the reason why Mozilla caught flak after it announced that it would start accepting crypto donations, prompting the organization to put its plans on hold. According to a Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index, those processes use up 204.50 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, which is comparable to what’s consumed by some countries, such as Thailand. Wikimedia accepts Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ether.

GorillaWarfare’s proposal welcomed comments over three months starting in January. In all, 232 users voted in favor of the proposal, while 94 voted against. Those who argued in favor of cryptocurrency donations explained that they provide safer ways to donate and that fiat currencies have environmental issues of their own. 

Even though the community voted in favor of blocking crypto donations, it’s still just a request that the Wikimedia Foundation may or may not grant. A spokesperson from the foundation told Ars:

“We are aware of the community’s request that the Foundation consider ending our acceptance of donations in cryptocurrency. Our Fundraising team is reviewing the request and related discussions and we will provide additional information once they complete that process.”