Slog Comments
Warehouse Workers Rally Outside Amazon Headquarters, Demand Better Treatment
1
Not to be a dick, but I've worked in a warehouse (near Allentown, PA no less) and yeah, it's hot as hell but I don't know what anyone is supposed to do about it. It's hard to imagine living in the Pacific Northwest, but most of the country has weather that becomes hot and/or cold. Cooling or heating a large space like a warehouse is expensive, not eco-friendly, and not really efficient.
I see your plight, but come on: no shit, warehouses get hot.
I see your plight, but come on: no shit, warehouses get hot.
3
@1 and 2: yes, I totally get your point. Because the workers are low-wage, they should be treated like dogs (or worse).
Dicks.
Dicks.
5
I hope # 3 and 4 keep this in mind next time they order anything off amazon, or the internet, or purchase modern electronics.
6
@1
so we should just let people die because it's to expensive to provide adequate environmental controls, really?
so we should just let people die because it's to expensive to provide adequate environmental controls, really?
7
The troll is right. This is all Emma and Joe's fault. Companies, especially big wealthy companies can do no wrong.
8
i worked in a welding factory in indiana in the summer...and it was fucking hot. my mom worked in a factory in indiana that made buns for mcdonald's...and it was fucking hot. i don't see why people are targeting amazon...there are plenty of low paying, shitty, hot fucking jobs out there.
9
@1,
Then what explains the static electric shocks the workers have to endure because Amazon (or, more often, Amazon's contractors) is too cheap to install rubber mats on the floors? What about the fact that people can be fired for calling in sick merely six times? What about the fact that virtually no one who works in those sweatshops ever gets the chance of becoming a full-time employee? That's pretty convenient for a company that doesn't want to reward hard-working employees, not unless they're white collar.
I don't necessarily have a problem with paying warehouse workers a relatively trivial wage; those are the breaks of a shitty economy, but all the various other ways that Amazon mistreats its warehouse workers are shameful.
The reason warehouse workers get frozen in the winter when the fire alarm gets pulled? That's entirely for loss prevention. Amazon would rather freeze its employees than risk losing a small amount of product to theft. That's the same reason why those workers are forced to work in sweatshops.
Then there's the breakneck speed at which those employees have to work, which conveniently gets ramped up as soon as Amazon wants to fire them after a few months.
There's the workers' having to sacrifice their break time to go through Amazon's metal detectors.
There's the lack of designing their work spaces to prevent repetitive stress injury.
All of this is technically legal because OSHA ain't worth shit, but it's yet another example of what a shit factory Amazon has become.
Then what explains the static electric shocks the workers have to endure because Amazon (or, more often, Amazon's contractors) is too cheap to install rubber mats on the floors? What about the fact that people can be fired for calling in sick merely six times? What about the fact that virtually no one who works in those sweatshops ever gets the chance of becoming a full-time employee? That's pretty convenient for a company that doesn't want to reward hard-working employees, not unless they're white collar.
I don't necessarily have a problem with paying warehouse workers a relatively trivial wage; those are the breaks of a shitty economy, but all the various other ways that Amazon mistreats its warehouse workers are shameful.
The reason warehouse workers get frozen in the winter when the fire alarm gets pulled? That's entirely for loss prevention. Amazon would rather freeze its employees than risk losing a small amount of product to theft. That's the same reason why those workers are forced to work in sweatshops.
Then there's the breakneck speed at which those employees have to work, which conveniently gets ramped up as soon as Amazon wants to fire them after a few months.
There's the workers' having to sacrifice their break time to go through Amazon's metal detectors.
There's the lack of designing their work spaces to prevent repetitive stress injury.
All of this is technically legal because OSHA ain't worth shit, but it's yet another example of what a shit factory Amazon has become.
10
Yeah, warehouses get hot - but not so hot that a significant amount of the workforce has to be treated for heat exposure. Did paramedics wait outside the warehouse EVERY DAY where you worked, Cosby? How about you tainte? Probably not, because the warehouses you worked in had fans to blow the air around so that it didn't reach dangerous highs. That's a luxury Amazon won't give its workers.
11
How is it possible that there are people who are so blasé about workers' basic human rights? Are you even people?
I'm glad these workers are taking this to Amazon HQ. I'd really like to see Jeff Bezos survive a night shift there. Just one, that cowardly, selfish, exploitative piece of shit.
I'm glad these workers are taking this to Amazon HQ. I'd really like to see Jeff Bezos survive a night shift there. Just one, that cowardly, selfish, exploitative piece of shit.
12
We need to keep CEOs and CFOs in similar working conditions.
@11 there are a lot of these people around here. When I sat on juries I was shocked how many of them there were.
@11 there are a lot of these people around here. When I sat on juries I was shocked how many of them there were.
13
Does anyone know of a company that other companies (Amazon or GSI for example) could use as a blueprint for creating warehouses that address the environmental concerns? (I don't think we are ever getting away from these jobs being low-paying and physically demanding). I'm trying to find something on Google, but I keep getting data warehouse results. Which usually is totally applicable, but not helpful right now.
14
No one is saying a warehouse needs to be a perfect 70 degrees year round, but if the building cannot be brought to a temperature that is safe for humans, well then maybe on those days people have to wait a bit longer for their shit.
And these particular low wage jobs cannot be outsourced, so lets make them spend the money to keep people safe.
And these particular low wage jobs cannot be outsourced, so lets make them spend the money to keep people safe.
15
again faggots if this offends you with hold your money. problem solved. then again you would have to go with out...
16
Not to excuse it but every fucking warehouse for every fucking company is (nearly) the same. The only reason we hear about this is because of Amazon's fame and deep pockets. Best solution is to outsource as many of these jobs as possible, preferably over the border.
17
If I hadn't already stopped ordering from Amazon years ago, this and other stories of how it treats its warehouse workers would have convinced me. Also, despite the higher pay and dog friendly offices, Amazon still chews through its corporate workers.
18
@9: "What about the fact that virtually no one who works in those sweatshops ever gets the chance of becoming a full-time employee?"
Welcome to Microsoft, or Apple, or any other company that doesn't hire "from the mailroom".
Warehouse workers as temps and seasonal employees is not the domain of Amazon alone, for fuck's sake. It'd be nice if there was more ability to transition, but this is an issue with labor in the US. I'm fine with the criticisms, but Amazon isn't fucking special or especially horrible with these complaints.
Welcome to Microsoft, or Apple, or any other company that doesn't hire "from the mailroom".
Warehouse workers as temps and seasonal employees is not the domain of Amazon alone, for fuck's sake. It'd be nice if there was more ability to transition, but this is an issue with labor in the US. I'm fine with the criticisms, but Amazon isn't fucking special or especially horrible with these complaints.
19
The City is built by the Warehouse.
The Warehouse that cannot afford the City.
You praise the city every day.
Mirror, mirror
On the wall.
The Warehouse that cannot afford the City.
You praise the city every day.
Mirror, mirror
On the wall.
21
@16: Yeah, way better for the country to just start cutting jobs than enforce workplace safety laws, and treat its workers like humans.
Why the hell would we need jobs in this country?
Why the hell would we need jobs in this country?
23
Are there any objective measures that show that Amazon's warehouse conditions are worse than other companies, or that they repeatedly violate safety standards? Every company sounds terrible if your primary source for information is a journalist ("it is an outrage that $11/hr warehouse workers are treated differently from $100k/year programmers!") or a disgruntled ex-employee.
24
Credulous hack Goldy presents every charge made by these unhappy ex-workers as fact, not even bothering with a "he said" or "allegedly." Glad he doesn't try to call himself a journalist.
25
@16: Right, great "solution." Who cares about the basic safety and comfort of human beings if they live on the other side of a border?
@8: Yes, the problem is widespread... All the more reason to start fixing it! Amazon seems like a good place to begin..
I'm really glad to read that these workers are speaking up and organizing against these brutal conditions. I hope they do form a union.
@8: Yes, the problem is widespread... All the more reason to start fixing it! Amazon seems like a good place to begin..
I'm really glad to read that these workers are speaking up and organizing against these brutal conditions. I hope they do form a union.
26
For all of you who want to make lite of what my Dad and the others whom took a stand against Amazon, I just want to give you a little history about the man you are calling a cry baby. This 62 year old man who has also had three heart attacks, worked his entire life in a machine shop (37 years) the same machine shop and was one of the last to go before they closed the doors in his shop, where temps. exceeded 100 degrees on a daily basis during the summer never complained about it then, but when you work for a company as large as Amazon who has as many insane rules as what they do you expect that at least some of those would be in place for your well being, not Amazon there rules are just in place for loss prevention. My Dad has a heart problem and they in the middle of the cold winter didnt want him to get his jacket hat and scarf which he needs cause he cant inhale the cold air, it will affect his heart, but they dont care they would rather see him die than let him protect his health. This company gives you demerits for passing out at work and being taken away by an ambulance and those demerits go towards your termination. that is what you call a scumbag move. this company needs to stop treating these American workers like crap, oh, and to make matters even worse my 62 year old Dad was expected to perform at the same speed as a 19-20 year old, and for those of you who think my Dad was in the wrong for taking a stand imagine this was either your parent or your children, think about it and then shut your big mouths.
27
If you leave your dog in a hot, unventilated car and it gets sick, you go to jail for cruelty to animals. If you leave your warehouse worker in a hot, unventilated warehouse and it gets sick, you are a great corporate visionary whose stock price increases.
28
Having working in several Computer Rooms, I would have to point out that anyone that says Robots don't mind the heat are not thinking clearly.
In Reality, most Computer Rooms MUST be at 72 Deg F @ 50% RH or they start to overheat, slow down and eventually go OFFLINE.
So, IF the people were actually Robots (Computers), They would HAVE to keep the heat down to maintain productivity!
In Reality, most Computer Rooms MUST be at 72 Deg F @ 50% RH or they start to overheat, slow down and eventually go OFFLINE.
So, IF the people were actually Robots (Computers), They would HAVE to keep the heat down to maintain productivity!
29
I heard a lawsuit is forming against Allentown for harassment...people getting harassed and HR does nothing or the managers on the line do nothing.
I feel bad when I hear some of these people putting down coworkers and managers talking down on people not good we hear alot of things you would be amazed. Everyone is there for the same reason its a job.
(Hostile work environment / workplace harassment)
I feel bad when I hear some of these people putting down coworkers and managers talking down on people not good we hear alot of things you would be amazed. Everyone is there for the same reason its a job.
(Hostile work environment / workplace harassment)
30
it's just as bad in the UK Amazon.co.uk treat their warehouse staff like crap. We are pushed beyond our limits the tempature in the warehouse is extreme and very hot.
If we so much as go to get a drink of water from a water station we are moaned at. They fire groups of people on a daily basis. One guy was fired last week just for taking two days off due to one of his family members dying.
Our targets are constantly raised each week the managers will not listen when we try and explain to them that the targets are too much.
The asiles are narrow and people constantly clash trying to pass each other.
We lose at least 10 minutes of our break trying to get through the metal detectors sometimes they flick a switch to set the detector off on random people. They are told to go into a room to be searched which takes more time of their break.
If we so much as go to get a drink of water from a water station we are moaned at. They fire groups of people on a daily basis. One guy was fired last week just for taking two days off due to one of his family members dying.
Our targets are constantly raised each week the managers will not listen when we try and explain to them that the targets are too much.
The asiles are narrow and people constantly clash trying to pass each other.
We lose at least 10 minutes of our break trying to get through the metal detectors sometimes they flick a switch to set the detector off on random people. They are told to go into a room to be searched which takes more time of their break.
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