WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Amazon.com social media team showed its teeth this week to go after two big critics in Congress: Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Amazon first struck Wednesday with tweets from Dave Clark, CEO of Amazon’s global consumer company, who criticized Sanders for pushing for a $ 15 minimum wage and supporting Amazon workers in Alabama who are considering shutting down union organizations.
On Friday, the day Sanders met Amazon employees in Alabama, Amazon News tweeted that the minimum wage in Sanders’ home state of Vermont was $ 11.75. “Sanders would rather talk in Alabama than trade in Vermont,” the company tweeted.
During his meeting, Sanders urged Amazon workers to vote for the union: “If you stand up and fight, you will not only take on one of the most powerful companies in this country, but you will also take on the richest individuals in the world. . And you do it in an anti-union state. “
The company also went after Warren, who promised on Twitter that she would “ fight your union outbreak. And fight to break up Big Tech so you’re not powerful enough to bother senators with snotty tweets. “
She had initially called for Amazon’s breakup, along with other Big Tech giants, in 2019 when she ran for president.
Amazon called its tweet “extraordinary and revealing”.
“One of the most powerful politicians in the United States just said she’s going to break up an American company so they can’t criticize her anymore,” tweeted Amazon.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sanders and Warren’s offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It may not be just Amazon losing its temper under pressure from Washington.
During a congressional hearing on Thursday, Twitter director Jack Dorsey apparently became frustrated with lawmakers pushing for yes or no answers to questions. During the hearing, Dorsey tweeted “?” with a poll asking Twitter users to vote “yes” or “no”.
Democratic Representative Kathleen Rice asked, “Mr. Dorsey, what’s going on, yes or no, in your Twitter account poll? “
Dorsey told her “yes” was winning, to which she replied, “Your multitasking skills are pretty impressive.”
Reporting by Diane Bartz; edited by Jonathan Oatis