Saturday, April 23, 2022

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Amazon workers in New York accuse the company of retaliatory firings

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 05:27 AM PDT

An independent group of Amazon workers called Amazonians United is accusing the e-commerce giant of firing four workers in Queens because they "supported a labor organization." According to BuzzFeed News, the group filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board on April 14th, arguing that the company fired the workers for "protesting terms and conditions of employment." The group also said that Amazon made the move to "discourage union activities."

Workers at Amazon's warehouses in Long Island City and Woodsland staged a walkout back in March to demand a pay raise of $3 an hour and the reinstatement of their 20-minute rest breaks. A Motherboard report about the protest noted that the workers were earning around $15.75 to $17.25 an hour and that Amazon had shortened their rest breaks from 20 to 15 minutes. Workers at the Queens facilities also joined a petition that circulated in December demanding better inclement weather policy and the right to keep their phones with them in case of emergency. 

As a labor organization, Amazonians United collectively fights for better policies that benefit workers without being an official union. It successfully fought for workplace policy changes and pay raises in the past. In this particular case, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) still has to review the group's complaint before it decides if it has any merit. Just a few days ago, the NLRB successfully convinced a judge to order Amazon to reinstate Staten Island warehouse worker Gerald Bryson. The judge sided with the labor board and agreed with its argument that the company fired Bryson in retaliation for participating in a COVID-19 safety protest back in 2020.

Google files a trademark application for 'Pixel Watch'

Posted: 23 Apr 2022 02:53 AM PDT

There's a big chance that Google's long-rumored smartwatch will be called the "Pixel Watch." The tech giant has filed paperwork with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to trademark "Pixel Watch," 9to5Google reports. In its application, Google wrote that the name is intended to "cover the categories of smartwatches," "wearable computers in the nature of smartwatches," as well as smartwatch cases, straps and bands. 

The trademark application didn't contain additional details about the device. But based on previous rumors and rendering leaks, the company's first in-house-developed smartwatch will have a circular face with no bezel. It's expected to have a heart rate sensor and other features found in devices by Fitbit, which Google purchased in 2021, as well. The device will reportedly cost more than a Fitbit, though, and will be a veritable Apple Watch competitor. It's also expected to run Wear OS 3, the tech giant's upcoming wearable platform that will only make its way to a handful of current smartwatches. 

Jon Prosser, who's known for leaking upcoming releases in tech, previously said that Google is planning to launch its first smartwatch on May 26th. That doesn't sound unlikely, since the date coincides with the tech giant's annual I/O conference that usually takes place in May. However, as 9to5Google points out, Google has to go through a few more regulatory hurdles before the device's launch. Since the device hasn't been spotted in listings at the Federal Communications Commission and the Bluetooth SIG yet, May 26th might be too soon for its unveiling.
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