Oh man.

I'm hiring right now. I've had more than 100 applicants and spent about 2 days reviewing them and asking screening questions in chat.

I didn't reject any on the basis that they did not provide a cover letter, but in those cases I did need to ask more questions to try to get some idea of who the candidate was.

It takes a lot more than a couple of minutes to talk to someone. Even short interviews take a minimum of 30 minutes because I need to arrange a time, then talk, then make some notes. I'd say an hour is more reasonable estimate.

I'm not quite sure what that jab about working with peers means.

I understand your situation might involve dealing with countless asshole corporations who are intent on exploiting you, but it's a mistake to conclude that every employer the world over is the same.