A study published in Socius examines how Amazon utilized algorithmic management to deter unionization efforts during the 2021 union vote at its Bessemer, Alabama warehouse. The research suggests that tactics like 'algorithmic slack-cutting'—which involves easing automated oversight—were employed to create a temporary enhancement in worker satisfaction, thereby influencing their voting decision against unionizing. These tactics included disabling surveillance systems that tracked work non-compliance, as a strategic move to improve employee perceptions of management during the campaign.
Employers can weaponize elements or effects of algorithmic management against unions via repurposing devices that algorithmically control workers, engaging in 'algorithmic slack-cutting,' and exploiting patterns of social media activity.
Algorithmic slack-cutting refers to the softening of the ‘electronic whip,’ a term used to describe the lifting of automated oversight burdens, providing workers a sense of relief.
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