Welcome back to Human Capital. In this week's edition of HC, you'll read about the latest union struggles at Amazon and the Chan Zuckerberg initiative, President-elect Joe Biden's promises to hire workers, a primary care network for blacks and people of color, and more. yet. Finally, I pulled out some nuggets from DoorDash's S-1 that are relevant to DEI and the job.
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The former Amazon warehouse worker denounces the company for failing to provide PPE to workers during the pandemic
Christian Smalls, a former Amazon warehouse employee, filed a lawsuit against the company today alleging that Amazon failed to provide personal protective equipment to Black and Latinx workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The class action alleges that Amazon failed to adequately protect its warehouse workers and violated elements of New York City human rights law as well as federal and state laws.
"I was a loyal worker and gave my all to Amazon until I was unceremoniously fired and thrown aside like yesterday's garbage because I insisted that Amazon protect its dedicated workers from COVID-19," he said. Smalls in a statement. "I just wanted Amazon to provide basic protective equipment to workers and disinfect the workplace."
The Center for Black Innovation receives $ 2.1 million
The Knight Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and Comcast NBCUNiversal have invested $ 2.1 million in the Center for Black Innovation. The plan is to support black entrepreneurs and increase the number of black founders in Miami and across the U.S. The money will go to investor education, facilitating matchmaking sessions between founders and investors, offering courses to founders, and more.
The Chan Zuckerberg initiative addresses the complaint of racial discrimination
Ray Holgado, a former employee of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, recently filed a racial discrimination complaint with the California Department of Employment and Fair Housing. Holgado, who is black, worked at CZI from September 2018 to August 2020.
"Despite its rhetoric about social justice, CZI is not a welcoming environment for black employees," Holgado's complaint states. "Black employees are underpaid, undervalued, denied growth opportunities and marginalized. Black employees who want to advance within the organization are closed down and labeled as too assertive or aggressive, while non-black employees are favored and encouraged. When black employees communicated these concerns to the CZI leadership, CZI responded defensively and failed to address the underlying issues. CZI has absolutely failed to "build a more inclusive, just and healthy future" for its black employees.
In a statement to ProWellTech, CZI denied the claims.
"While we take any allegations of discrimination seriously and will do so here, the specific allegations of this former employee have previously been raised internally, independently investigated and found unsubstantiated," the spokesperson said. "The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is committed to ensuring fair treatment, access and progress for all members of the CZI team. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, period. "
DEI nuggets from DoorDash's S-1
Food delivery company DoorDash filed its documents to go public today. It's a long document, so I pulled out the relevant entries related to DEI and work.
DoorDash says it is committed to diversity and inclusion in its S-1, despite never publishing a diversity reportDoorDash also appears to be proud that none of its 3,279 employees have joined the union:At DoorDash, we are committed to growing and empowering inclusive communities in our business, industry and the cities we serve. We believe a diverse and inclusive workforce is key to helping us attract and retain the talent needed to grow our business. We also believe that we will be a more successful company if we amplify the voices of those who have not always been heard and when everyone has "room at the table" and the tools, resources and opportunities to succeed.
DoorDash, like other gig economy companies, is also preparing to pursue legislation similar to Prop 22 in other states:None of our employees are represented by a union. We have not experienced work stoppages and believe our relationships with employees are strong.
As such, the approval of the 2020 California voting initiative is likely to have a negative impact on our results of operations. In addition, many other states in which we operate may consider adopting similar legislation to the 2020 California ballot initiative, which we would expect to increase our costs related to Dashers in those jurisdictions and could also have a negative impact. on our results of operations.
Spora Health launches a network of primary care providers for people of color and POCs
Spora Health has launched its One Medical Primary Care Provider Network for Blacks and People of Color.
"A fair health system has never existed in America, especially for blacks and that's the goal," Dan Miller, founder and CEO of Spora Health, told ProWellTech.
Spora Health, which recently closed a $ 1.2 million seed round, is a primary care provider for blacks and people of color. Spora Health is initially taking a telemedicine approach, but eventually plans to open physical locations.
Lyft when passing Prop 22
"Looking ahead, California's Proposition 22 victory was an important milestone and victory for drivers, our industry and the wider Lyft community," Lyft President John Zimmer said in Lyft's earnings report. this week. "The campaign was successful because it ultimately reflected the drivers' wishes and priorities. More than 120,000 drivers signed up to be part of the effort to overcome Prop 22: they mobilized, they volunteered, they shared their stories. The voters saw this and were in solidarity with them. We look forward to continuing our conversations with policy makers across the country. "
Similar to Uber, Lyft is also looking to explore similar legislation across the country. On the earnings call, Lyft CEO Logan Green said the Prop 22 provides a blueprint for other states.
Uber and Lyft request to re-examine the case that upheld the preliminary injunction
Uber and Lyft have both petitioned for evidence in the case brought forward by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Last month, an appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that would force Uber and Lyft to classify their drivers as employees. But now that Proposition 22 has been passed, Uber and Lyft want the court to determine if the injunction is still appropriate.
Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft are likely still to face California worker classification lawsuits as the recently passed proposal cannot be applied retroactively. Under Bloomberg law, such legal options, however, will be limited and the damages will be limited.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International on Prop 22
In a joint statement, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International called Prop 22 a "devastating blow to the rights" of gig workers.
Here is a snippet:
No worker should face exploitative or otherwise abusive working conditions, but many app-based workers do. We urge app-based companies to bring their wage and labor policies and practices in line with international labor and human rights standards. We urge the California government to explore other legal avenues to hold companies accountable for respecting workers' rights. Finally, we urge the US Congress and the US Department of Labor to protect app-based workers' rights, such as through legislative and regulatory actions that help ensure a living wage, paid sick and family leave, and compensation. illness and injury.
