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Tech Workers Oppose Settlement They Reached In Silicon Valley Hiring Case

Posted by samzenpus on from the on-second-thought dept.

itwbennett writes Tech workers have asked an appeals court not to approve a $324.5 million settlement in Silicon Valley's controversial employee hiring case, according to a document filed Tuesday. This move by the plaintiffs puts them in alignment with an earlier decision by Judge Lucy Koh of the federal district court in San Jose to throw out the settlement on the grounds that it wouldn't pay the workers enough. Attorneys for the defendants — Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel — subsequently appealed Koh's decision.

7 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. One way to sweeten the pot.... by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 3, Funny

    How about $324M plus 1000 frozen eggs?

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    Do you have ESP?
  2. Systemic abuse can only be handled one way by i+kan+reed · · Score: 5, Informative

    And that is to make sure that the companies in question get at most zero dollars and zero cents net profit from their scummy decisions.

    Forming an employer trust is really really really scummy, and can make a lot of money. Throwing the book at them isn't enough. You need to drop the entire 16 volume set on them from terminal velocity.

    1. Re:Systemic abuse can only be handled one way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Exactly. That settlement (even if you don't subtract attorney's fees) works out to only $5000 per worker. I'm sure the workers lost out on a lot more than that because of these practices

    2. Re:Systemic abuse can only be handled one way by hawguy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That sounds great and all... but court decisions that bankrupt companies result in pretty much the same thing every time. The company goes bankrupt and, at best, the lawyers get paid. Then the company reopens with all the same people that made the decision in charge but under new ownership and the debt gets written off. The old owners would be all those same employees that had their retirement in stock which is now worthless. The people in charge are long retired and don't care.

      I agree that it's not fair, but there simply doesn't exist the legal mechanisms to make managers that made these decisions over a decade ago pay. The primary culprit seemed to be Steve Jobs and God took care of him.

      Somehow I don't think a multibillion dollar settlement is going to force Google or Apple into bankruptcy:

      http://www.bizjournals.com/san...

      Apple Inc.'s $158.8 billion cash stockpile more than triples the $48.5 billion currently in the coffers of the U.S. government, according to a new report.
      Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. also have also posted cash and cash equivalents worth more than the total U.S. Treasury at roughly $84 billion and $58 billion, respectively, according to U.S. Trust data cited by British newspaper the Telegraph.

      Part of the reason they have these multi billion dollar cash reserves is by illegally colluding to keep employee turnover down and reduce wages.

  3. then it stands to reason by nimbius · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you have the most draconian hiring policies that ensure only the top talent and smartest minds in a given field are hired by your corporation, and you think you can fuck them over, you've shot yourself in the face. The people litigating are your former employees. If they understand some of the most complex systems and technologies and lead in some cases as pioneers in their field, you're a fool to think they dont understand something as simple as employment. Regardless of how secret you were about it, pack your bags. You're going to the cleaners until they get satisfaction.

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    Good people go to bed earlier.
  4. Why no jail? by Moof123 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It seems like there is plenty of documented collusion that could be used to indict some of these scumbags. Too many offenses are being handled by writing paltry checks out of the company coffers. It is hard to see that future CEO's and HR departments will walk away from this with anything but an emboldened attitude towards screwing over workers.

  5. Re:Take the money and run by minstrelmike · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The lawyers have the same disincentive for getting the best price that a Realtor does.
    As soon as a Realtor has _any_ reasonable offer for your $300,000 house, even if it is 30K less than what you want, the Realtor is looking at a decent 6% commission. S/he isn't too concerned with trying to get 6% of an additional $10-$30,000 AT THE RISK of losing 6% of the $270,000 already in hand. S/he'll honestly tell you it's a good deal because for her, it is a good deal.
    For you, maybe not so much.