This is just too good not to share …
Elon looks to close on Twitter and with it, entitlement is at risk
With Meta stock falling 20% in the last 24 hours on the heels of bad earnings (wait, don’t they sell ads?? Didn’t newspapers do that before their business model died too??), and Microsoft and Google showing weaker growth while the perils of “the COVID economic falsehoods” striking investors wallets at an accelerating clip, my greatest joy this week came from this open letter written by Twitter employees to Elon and the board ahead of his purchase of the company.
I am not a believer of work from home broadly, and specifically because those that abuse it, abuse the hell out of it. But this letter from Twitter employees is so far beyond belief, I am beginning to have faith that woke, climate capitalism is about to implode on itself and I couldn’t be more optimistic. It seems employees forgot that they serve the company, not the other way around, and profit is the most important thing. What a nice change.
But before we get to the letter, here is a pleasant reminder of why the internet remains undefeated and the Simpson’s has been on for more than 20 years. Things are really looking up, and just in time for winter.
Staff, Elon Musk, and Board of Directors:
We, the undersigned Twitter workers, believe the public conversation is in jeopardy.
Elon Musk’s plan to lay off 75% of Twitter workers will hurt Twitter’s ability to serve the public conversation. A threat of this magnitude is reckless, undermines our users’ and customers’ trust in our platform, and is a transparent act of worker intimidation.
Twitter has significant effects on societies and communities across the globe. As we speak, Twitter is helping to uplift independent journalism in Ukraine and Iran, as well as powering social movements around the world.
A threat to workers at Twitter is a threat to Twitter’s future. These threats have an impact on us as workers and demonstrate a fundamental disconnect with the realities of operating Twitter. They threaten our livelihoods, access to essential healthcare, and the ability for visa holders to stay in the country they work in. We cannot do our work in an environment of constant harassment and threats. Without our work, there is no Twitter.
We, the workers at Twitter, will not be intimidated. We recommit to supporting the communities, organizations, and businesses who rely on Twitter. We will not stop serving the public conversation.
We call on Twitter management and Elon Musk to cease these negligent layoff threats. As workers, we deserve concrete commitments so we can continue to preserve the integrity of our platform.
We demand of current and future leadership:
Respect: We demand leadership to respect the platform and the workers who maintain it by committing to preserving the current headcount.
Safety: We demand that leadership does not discriminate against workers on the basis of their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs. We also demand safety for workers on visas, who will be forced to leave the country they work in if they are laid off.
Protection: We demand Elon Musk explicitly commit to preserve our benefits, those both listed in the merger agreement and not (e.g. remote work). We demand leadership to establish and ensure fair severance policies for all workers before and after any change in ownership.
Dignity: We demand transparent, prompt and thoughtful communication around our working conditions. We demand to be treated with dignity, and to not be treated as mere pawns in a game played by billionaires.
Sincerely,
Twitter workers
I’m sure Elon is going to respond very positively to all those demands. Hilarious.
Best is culling headcount with zero severance requirement.
Welp, there is one thing that is constant. Don't show up at the negotiating table when you don't have any chips. There is a reason golf clubs had record years in 2020 and 2021. Those who were supposed to be home working were golfing. Every time I was told it was the new normal I laughed.