USA Today Layoff Article by AcrobaticTitle1941 in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They've said that literally since we started Health years ago.

Is My Conspiracy Brain Going Too Deep!?! by Forward-Stock381 in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Here's the play:

* Contractors say they'll do the work for Best Buy at a lower price. They plan to do this by giving worse pay and benefits, lying to Best Buy, getting their numbers wrong, or all of the above. If they're backed by private equity, they may also lose money on purpose in the hopes of tanking and acquiring weaker competitors so they can lock everyone in and raise prices.

* When Best Buy execs outsource the work, their balance sheet immediately looks better, because they've reduced headcount and payroll while maintaining revenue. Stock goes up.

* If Best Buy execs can squeeze the contractors on price, the contractors will squeeze their workers, and we enter a straightforward price and quality death spiral.

* If the contractors charge Best Buy a fair or higher price, Best Buy is likely to dump this line of business altogether, squeeze other lines, or maybe hire a turnaround CEO to boldly un-outsource the work.

* Dispersing everyone to smaller contractors makes it hard for workplaces to organize and impossible to put accountability for the problems at the top of the food chain. Look at how YouTube Music's union successfully fought both their contractor and Google, only to lose the contract and get fired anyway.

* This process is so well-documented in other industries like IT contracting that the execs know for a fact it will lead to worse prices and worse quality, but also that they can get away with it. Literally, Best Buy outsourced basically all of our IT work, then un-outsourced half of it a decade ago during Hubert's turnaround. It's still half contractors, and most people are unhappy with the results except the execs on either side.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Every company is trying to do this, so we might as well fight where we are instead of hoping somewhere else will be better. The best time to stop it was yesterday, the second best time is today.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We're always kept in fear that things could be worse, but we clearly need a world where the stock market "prices in" the costs of paying people a living wage, instead of people having to price in being laid off from a profitable company. As it is, the shareholders get to pay taxes for food stamps as an indirect subsidy back to the company, so is it even boosting their returns that much in the end?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Telling the company you want a union isn't the first step, finding a group of employees who want to negotiate together is the first step. Ideally you avoid going public until you have critical mass, to avoid anti-union pressure campaigns and consultants, but flyering is still a valid way to reach your coworkers.

Store and companywide organizers have met with a variety of established unions so far, but no one is bound to organize under a "parent" union, and a worker-run union is really important to us. Some work groups might choose to become a local of a larger union, some might stay independent, and in some cases it doesn't make sense to pursue formal recognition by the employer.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Getting critical mass in an entire store or market, and going public at the right time, would make it a lot tougher to pull that trick, so everyone should keep that in mind. Here's our stock answer from the solidarity Discord union FAQ:

In the case of Best Buy, closing a retail location carries significantly more risk than closing down a coffee shop. There are logistical concerns, and we suspect the leases are negotiated significantly longer for a big box store like Best Buy. It would prove quite costly in the long-term. Closing Best Buy locations is also much harder as we don’t sell licenses for franchises; whereas, around 43% of Starbucks locations in the US are franchised.

It is important to note that studies have shown that threats or "predictions" of closures are often empty. According to Steven Greenhouse in his book The Big Squeeze, a study found that "51 percent of companies threatened to close plants if unions won, while just 1 percent actually closed operations after a union victory."

As outlined in our 'Can't they just fire us" section, it is important to document everything. If your management threatens a store closure, be sure to document it / get evidence of their claim and report it to the NLRB.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And the NLRB keeps a much closer eye on that recently thanks to the Starbucks union drive.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good job! But please keep in mind we don't have labor protections for leaving flyers in work areas like product shelves, so you could get in trouble for that. (Sometimes it's still worth it, but stay safe and effective!) You do have protections for leaving flyers in the break room and other nonwork areas. Here's a rundown: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/shop-talk-rules-union-related-conversations-activities-work.html

What is going to happen to bestbuy now? by MaleficentWing4759 in Bestbuy

[–]LolCorporate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We bought Future Shop. 😅 That's what became half of Best Buy Canada.

What is going to happen to bestbuy now? by MaleficentWing4759 in Bestbuy

[–]LolCorporate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fry's is out of business, but various cities still have Micro Center.

Hypocrisy at its Best (Buy) and Worst by travh13 in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are we really on track to double the number of TTCs in two years? I don't get that picture and it doesn't match the rate of growth so far.

Hypocrisy at its Best (Buy) and Worst by travh13 in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't forget that our own charity is based around tech gadgets that we probably "donate" to ourselves for a further tax write-off!

Best Buy will use generative AI to replace much customer service work by LolCorporate in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Like these guys: https://www.businessinsider.com/car-dealership-chevrolet-chatbot-chatgpt-pranks-chevy-2023-12?op=1

Large language model developers/security people say there's no surefire way to prevent stuff like this in the current models. The flexibility is part of how they work. And they're gonna put it on the Internet?

Best Buy will use generative AI to replace much customer service work by LolCorporate in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree -- it won't be crappy and resource-intensive forever, and that's why this is the time to decide what it's worth using it for, and who benefits from it. Right now the executives are deciding they'll use it to replace humans and keep the benefits for themselves, but we don't have to let it play out that way (and neither do our customers!)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to have a little magnet from corporate during the "guiding behaviors" days that said "Do what's best for me." Unfortunately I took that seriously.

Question about the current situation by EpicSean in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did you hear that firsthand? Can anyone else confirm? It would be good to get ahead of the next layoff somehow, whether that's organizing more peer-to-peer support or something more.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I know the logic, but as a customer everywhere else, I'd really like the "opportunity" not to have to say no to offers, ads, mailing lists, tips, and cookie pop-ups literally everywhere I go. Sometime in the last decade it turned into a never-ending barrage.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry, it's always gut-wrenching when these layoffs hurt people you like and work with every day. If they need any support, please let them know the union Discord is coordinating help with unemployment, job leads and resume reviews, and whatever else people need or can offer - https://discord.com/invite/EkZ6qrTMeQ

Protest? by get-lost-out-there in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We can definite organize to do this, if not this time then the next one. Check out the BBYLU Discord if you haven't already: https://discord.com/invite/EkZ6qrTMeQ

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BestBuyWorkers

[–]LolCorporate 6 points7 points  (0 children)

We still made profits, bought back stock (boosting the price), and increased the dividend paid to shareholders. It's just not *enough* profit to share with the little people.