Amazon.com’s Whole Foods Market doesn’t want to be forced to let workers wear “Black Lives Matter” masks and is pointing to the recent US Supreme Court ruling permitting a business owner to refuse services to same-sex couples to get federal regulators to back off.

National Labor Relations Board prosecutors have accused the grocer of stifling worker rights by banning staff from wearing BLM masks or pins on the job. The company countered in a filing that its own rights are being violated if it’s forced to allow BLM slogans to be worn with Whole Foods uniforms.

Amazon is the most prominent company to use the high court’s June ruling that a Christian web designer was free to refuse to design sites for gay weddings, saying the case “provides a clear roadmap” to throw out the NLRB’s complaint.

The dispute is one of several in which labor board officials are considering what counts as legally-protected, work-related communication and activism on the job.

  • Blake [he/him]
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    1 year ago

    So, if Elon puts you into a position where you have to choose between following his rules or risk to your health and safety, it’s kidnapping, unlawful detention, etc. but if Amazon puts you into a position where you have to choose between following their rules or risk your health and safety, that’s completely acceptable?

    Do you not realise that you completely walked back on your “my property, my rules” claim?

    • Saik0
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      -11 year ago

      but if Amazon puts you into a position where you have to choose between following their rules or risk your health and safety,

      Care to elaborate on how not wearing a pin/mask with specific decoration is risking health and safety?

      • Blake [he/him]
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        -11 year ago

        You got that a bit turned around, there.

        Choose between following their rules (not wearing a pin/mask) or risk your health and safety (lose your income, health insurance, ability to provide food/shelter for your family)

        • Saik0
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          -11 year ago

          Not at all… Theft is against the contract/policy of a company as well. If we catch employees stealing shit can the company not fire the employee? How about constantly taking 5 minutes extra on their smoke breaks? Following customers around unwantedly?

          The policies/contract is written. Should we just ignore it all for everything just because the person would lose benefits/income? The company should just be forced to pay an employee indefinitely regardless of any/all rules? The worker agreed to the contract when they got hired.

          Once again… if you don’t like the rules… you don’t have to work there.

          not wearing a pin/mask

          No… not wearing a pin or mask with logos… They can wear a mask… And probably are encouraged to wear a mask. Don’t go off making this a health thing for making them take off a specific mask with logos. I can promise that a manager in the situation grabbed a box of masks and offered a replacement to just move on with life.

          Although to be fair, I don’t shop there… I have no idea what Whole Foods requirements are with masks. But I am willing to bet that they had other masks available for workers to use. As I can walk in basically any store and ask for one and be given one as a customer… let alone as a worker.

          health insurance

          Affordable Care Act.

          lose your income […] ability to provide food/shelter for your family

          If you get fired for this (as was the case in the story) you’d be eligible for a number of things like unemployment, food stamps, etc…

          • Blake [he/him]
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            21 year ago

            If you stole from Elon Musk’s private jet, shouldn’t he be allowed to throw you off the plane? Like it was kind of implied that you’d have to follow Elon’s rules when you got on the plane, and it was in that 10,000 page EULA you clicked “I agree” on… should Elon really be forced to carry people on his jet whom don’t follow the rules? If you don’t like them, you can get off the plane.

            Don’t worry, if you’re falling through the sky, you’ll be eligible for a parachute, just send away form 117b and wait 6-9 months for your request to be denied, then you can hire a lawyer and file an appeal! Usually that should be sufficient to get you the parachute you need.

            Oh, what’s that, you already hit the ground and died? Ah well, should have just danced for Elon I guess.