Amazon workers plan strike between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in major cities around the world

[daves87rs]

You worked at some awful jobs. Conditions were terrible and others should suffer like you did.

Does that sum it up?

Nope, younger folks need to suck it up a bit. Or maybe try other jobs. I have a neighbor whose son is busting his behind to move up and a pretty dirty CNC shop. He often comes home pretty tired , dirty and sweaty.

I’ve also worked in everything from a hot nasty warehouse to a nice climate controlled office……

 

[dishdude]

You worked at some awful jobs. Conditions were terrible and others should suffer like you did.

Does that sum it up?

That chest pounding was so hard I felt it across the country.

 

[jhellwig]

How ignorant can people be to think that people should be happy getting paid barley enough to survive while the company make billions of profits? The I suffered so you should also mentality is stupid.


There is only so long you can strip money out of the "economy" with people under you ending up with less and less before they start being fed up. Everyone oos and ahhs at the "job creation" number yet don't realize that the jobs created are low paid warehouse and service industry jobs then complains when people want more money to work those jobs that were once something people did just for a little extra money are now forced to live off of them.

 

[02SE]

You worked at some awful jobs. Conditions were terrible and others should suffer like you did.

Does that sum it up?

No.

If they aren't happy with their current situation, they should either invest in themselves to get the skills and knowledge needed to do what they want. Or at the very least go work somewhere else where they think the grass is greener.

Working in that bakery was what I imagined working in hell would be like. I knew I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life, so I continued my education to strive for something better.

Being self-employed was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. I worked FAAAAR harder than any boss could legally make me work. I sometimes didn't drive home because I was too tired to drive the 15 miles home. I worked months without a day off. Missed Holidays, birthdays, Anniversaries, etc. I ate antacids like candy, had a duodenal ulcer, Stress? Yes plenty when you either succeed or lose everything.

The good news is that all that pain and suffering eventually paid off. Although there was no guarantee that it would...

So, when I see people working in a clean, environmentally-controlled environment, and they have a wage and benefits package better than most in that line of work, I struggle to drum up any real sympathy.

 

[Ausfahrt]

That chest pounding was so hard I felt it across the country.

Glad that I don't live in Arizonuh.

No.

If they aren't happy with their current situation, they should either invest in themselves to get the skills and knowledge needed to do what they want. Or at the very least go work somewhere else where they think the grass is greener.

Working in that bakery was what I imagined working in hell would be like. I knew I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life, so I continued my education to strive for something better.

Being self-employed was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. I worked FAAAAR harder than any boss could legally make me work. I sometimes didn't drive home because I was too tired to drive the 15 miles home. I worked months without a day off. Missed Holidays, birthdays, Anniversaries, etc. I ate antacids like candy, had a duodenal ulcer, Stress? Yes plenty when you either succeed or lose everything.

The good news is that all that pain and suffering eventually paid off. Although there was no guarantee that it would...

So, when I see people working in a clean, environmentally-controlled environment, and they have a wage and benefits package better than most in that line of work, I struggle to drum up any real sympathy.

Only one person is crying a river here.

 

[Owen Lucas]

I still want to know how Bezos can afford a $500 million dollar yacht if he "only makes $80k" per year?

All of his money is investments vehicles.

The $80k salary is probably just for show.

The rest of the income is probably borrowed against his investments or however his riches are structured. You don't pay tax on borrowed money. This is how the wealthy pay lower taxes than the middle class. Many of these billionaires personal tax returns show they owe only $1000 or less.


These employees will eventually be 90% replaced by robots. In the short term they will be replaced by hoards of other people waiting in line for a job.

 

[02SE]

Glad that I don't live in Arizonuh.

Only one person is crying a river here.

Yes, the Amazon employees that are threatening to Strike.

 

[ripcord]

Not for long though. Shareholders really, really hate unions. And since they weld the most power, expect them them or the companies to be gone in a few years.

I wish I was joking. Most will start to see this when a few automakers file for chapter 11 to break them…..

Ya, those dang companies insisting on making a profit.

 

[dishdude]

Ya, those dang companies insisting on making a profit.

I'm not going to be the one defending the billionaire in this situation.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Well, I had tough manual labor jobs that paid squat. Tree work is pretty darn dangerous. And let's just say it is rare to find a sober tree trimmer. I admire the hard work Amazon warehouse employees, tree trimmers, US Mail, farm laborers. etc. do.

All work is honorable; that's my opinion. And if you are looking for "fair" in regards to compensation, well good luck with that. There ain't no such thing.

 

[BHopkins]

There's a lot of automation as well--I've gotten a taste of how AGVs are administered. Could be people are fighting that as well. Personally, I feel that as I type, automation is fine, until it goes down. When there is an outage, it isn't possible for such a similar outage to have occurred with human beings, short of a strike...

From what I saw in my career, while automation may eliminate jobs, it also creates better jobs. Implementation of AGVs is a perfect example. Although a distribution center may eliminate, say 90% of their forklifts, and their drivers, by implementing AGVs, now they have to have a staff of automation technicians and programmers.

Unfortunately, many resist the expectation that they may need to increase their knowledge and skills, in order to qualify for a job that has better conditions, and pays more.

Yeah! Stick it to Musk!!

Pablo, I didn't know that Musk had anything to do with Amazon. Is he a major stockholder?

 

[Rand]

Where exactly in the usa are they striking.. this seems like some kind of AI generated european article that was picked up by every news service that is little on facts and long on saying how evil amazon is.

Who exactly is planning this strike there is no union.

The wife works at amazon she got 4 bucks in raises this year on top of her normal raises.

I work for a union I got .and .35cents last year. Her healthcare is better than mine costs $24 a week.
Our union contract is up this year and they offered 3% raise.. while raking in record profits

they have so much money they don't even know what to do with it all.

Not sure amazon is the biggest evil company or the worst IMO... or that Union is better.. esp. if your union is terrible.

 

[Trav]

I have been seeing Amazon press gangs running around at the local bars and pubs, they hook them in and bus them off to the nearest Amazon warehouse. They get paid minimum existence in Amazon script, live in Bozos provided trailers and can only shop on Amazon. OMG.

 

[97prizm]

Where exactly in the usa are they striking.. this seems like some kind of AI generated european article that was picked up by every news service that is little on facts and long on saying how evil amazon is.

Who exactly is planning this strike there is no union.

The wife works at amazon she got 4 bucks in raises this year on top of her normal raises.

I work for a union I got .and .35cents last year. Her healthcare is better than mine costs $24 a week.
Our union contract is up this year and they offered 3% raise.. while raking in record profits

they have so much money they don't even know what to do with it all.

Not sure amazon is the biggest evil company or the worst IMO... or that Union is better.. esp. if your union is terrible.

Yeah Safeway stores come to mind. Union, working hard won't get you promoted just being there a long time will sometimes.... More turnover than I can count.

 

[02SE]

I'm not going to be the one defending the billionaire in this situation.

Too busy thumping that class-envy drum, I'm sure.

 

[02SE]

Well, I had tough manual labor jobs that paid squat. Tree work is pretty darn dangerous. And let's just say it is rare to find a sober tree trimmer. I admire the hard work Amazon warehouse employees, tree trimmers, US Mail, farm laborers. etc. do.

All work is honorable; that's my opinion. And if you are looking for "fair" in regards to compensation, well good luck with that. There ain't no such thing.

I admire hard workers too. All work IS honorable. If someone isn't happy with what they are doing, like apparently some Amazon workers, they should strive to better themselves to do what they want.

A prime example are you and I. We both put in the effort to get an education, that allowed us to climb out of what could have been a dismal future, to ultimately succeed.

 

[Dave Hess]

I’m in favor of any employee making more money and benefits.

I was unloading produce trucks for Publix Supermarket at 4 AM, a store remodel project it was 3 AM.
During Florida summer thunderstorms we didn’t stop unloading because the driver has a tight time window to unload and on to the next store. This was a non union job and paid peanuts.

I’m not complaining …… just happy to get $3.35 an hour back then and company stock through ESOP.

Yes, Amazon warehouse have a quota they need to meet when picking or stowing products. Lots of walking during their shift and a scanner that lets them know their productivity is dropping.

 

[KrisZ]

Last time I checked, workers have the right to organize and strike. What’s wrong with exercising their rights?

This forum is quite amazing at determining what others should or shouldn’t be making.

 

[johnnydc]

I'm not up on it anymore, but they used to get paid much more than others in the same business. I'm talking about 6k+ more at the entry level, plus day one benefits.

My sneaking suspicion about work in general now, is that people want the greatest benefit of all. Being able to do personal errands on co. time. Even children's school activities seem to assume parents work from home and can attend events in the middle of the day. I'd love to see the hard evidence that amazon workers have it bad. I'm not saying it's not hard work, I'm saying likely they are way better off than those with the same job elsewhere.

The Boeing machinists got a 43% increase yet not even 60% approved the deal. This is a mighty strange world indeed. I've never gotten 43% at the same job--I had to take on a new role to get anywhere near that.

I'm not for or against Unions. But some of the stuff these people ask for are ridiculous. It just makes the cost of goods go up for the rest of us. I do agree wages have not kept up with inflation over the last 30-40 years. But there has to be a different way without making the end user pay even more out of their pockets.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Last time I checked, workers have the right to organize and strike. What’s wrong with exercising their rights?

This forum is quite amazing at determining what others should or shouldn’t be making.

I agree.

Except there is only one warehouse in the USA that is organized. If there planning on striking, they maybe should organize first.

Workers can organize, and strike, or ask for what they want, or go somewhere else. Employers can say yes, or no, or move or close down. Not particularly complicated concepts for free markets.