German & Italian Amazon workers protest Black Fri

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There's a major Amazon DC in my town and it's one of two places in town that will be the last places I'll ever work. Everyone I know that works there outside of a leadership/management position is continually dissatisfied. It's pretty much a constant thing that they have job ads out on the radio, in the paper, and signs beside the road, often "hire on-the-spot".
 
We have several HUGE Amazon facilities here in the Seattle/Tacoma area. I've not heard of a single individual complaining about working for them. We have several former Amazon employees at my place of work and they didn't have anything negative to say either.

My wife has a son that has been working in Jeff Bezos's security detail for a couple of years now. He seems to get paid well and gets to travel all over the world meeting influential people.

At least they aren't as low paying as Walmart, right?
 
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Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Well Jeffie Bezos gets a small piece of what he deserves.


Just curious...why do you think he deserves something negative? I don't care for his politics...but I was wondering why you see him as a bad guy?
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Well Jeffie Bezos gets a small piece of what he deserves.


Just curious...why do you think he deserves something negative? I don't care for his politics...but I was wondering why you see him as a bad guy?


From what I read, AMZN isn't profitable. They rely on shareholder equity to fund operations. How? Because that's the way Wall Street works. Read any history of the financial markets and you'll learn that they are always subject to "bubbles" of one type or another. The markets are driven by greed and fear. Right now greed. AMZN is seen as a "disruptor". Issue new stock and the market seems to be willing to pay just about any valuation for it.

So Amzn drives all the profitable retailers out of business. Sooner or later stockholders are going to be asking about a return on equity or a return of equity. And then the prices are going to change. They already have changing prices depending day, time, browsing history, etc.

I've heard that there are AMZN employees living out of their cars. That's called homeless to me. I bet Walmart employees get a much better comp package than AMZN gives. Although I don't know this. Maximize profit for the corporate directors and shareholders. That's the American way.

This is what I learned on the internet. So take it for what it's worth.
 
I used to work at Walmart. When Amazon opened a local warehouse, almost every loading dock person quit! The store finally had to pay more just to get workers. I think the benefits are fairly equal now.
 
FWIW, there is a contingent (mostly seasonal) that Amazon brings to Campbellsville that, during the busy season (leading up to the holidays), fills up many of the campgrounds in the area. Part of this group are individuals that live in vans, etc. - I helped one guy, one of those seasonal workers from Wisconsin?, that came walking down to my shop (less than 1/2 mile down the street from AMZN) because the spare in his outfitted Montana wouldn't come down and the tire was shredded so he wasn't going anywhere without another solution. But anyway - technically, for at least several months a year, he "lives out of his car". As we all know the media or certain people with axes to grind can portray things differently than they actually are, but Amazon does draw on those that live mobile. In that case it's a choice, not poverty.
 
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NibbanaBanana,

Some forecasts say AMZN will top $2000 a share next year. Obviously AMZN popped today (and will for rest of the year) because of holiday shopping.

Amazon does expect their warehouse employees to meet certain performance goals and metrics.

For the record: I do own AMZN stock for the long haul
 
Originally Posted By: NibbanaBanana
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Well Jeffie Bezos gets a small piece of what he deserves.


Just curious...why do you think he deserves something negative? I don't care for his politics...but I was wondering why you see him as a bad guy?


From what I read, AMZN isn't profitable. They rely on shareholder equity to fund operations. How? Because that's the way Wall Street works. Read any history of the financial markets and you'll learn that they are always subject to "bubbles" of one type or another. The markets are driven by greed and fear. Right now greed. AMZN is seen as a "disruptor". Issue new stock and the market seems to be willing to pay just about any valuation for it.

So Amzn drives all the profitable retailers out of business. Sooner or later stockholders are going to be asking about a return on equity or a return of equity. And then the prices are going to change. They already have changing prices depending day, time, browsing history, etc.

I've heard that there are AMZN employees living out of their cars. That's called homeless to me. I bet Walmart employees get a much better comp package than AMZN gives. Although I don't know this. Maximize profit for the corporate directors and shareholders. That's the American way.

This is what I learned on the internet. So take it for what it's worth.


Amazon is making tons of money from their AWS (which is their Cloud Services portion). I believe they have turned a profit as a whole company based off this one division of company where they don't sell goods but application services. Even IBM that was never was doing well finally turned around a great profit last quarter because of cloud services.

It is unfortunate their warehouse workers don't get paid well. Hopefully Amazon offers enough benefit or lack of pay to motivate them to educate themselves to work in better jobs. Amazon is a great place for folks with better skills and education levels.
 
I don’t trust the guy … good for him having the PNW mansion and all the toys. But when he bought the WP and then the largest home in DC - and has massive DC contracts …
I quit shopping there … done.
 
Amazon warehouse employees need to organize a union here in the United States. There are people that hold a your a worthless loser if you work such a job, what do you expect? Get an eduction mentality. Whatever. The wage they provide is low and doesn't build a good community. It might where the headquarters are, but not where the warehouses are located.
 
I'm sure that everything that's been said here has some truth in it. What can't be debated is that the percentage of wealth held by the top 1% ($440K annual income and/or $6.7mil net worth IIRC) has been growing for 35 years. And poverty and homelessness in this country have also been growing. Some may argue that this is a good thing, but I disagree.

When I got out of trade school in the early 80's I got a good union job with decent pay and benefits. I didn't have to worry about heath care because I had good health insurance. I was able to take advantage of the tuition reimbursement program and earn a degree. Those stepping stones really helped give me a better life.
 
Originally Posted By: NibbanaBanana
I'm sure that everything that's been said here has some truth in it. What can't be debated is that the percentage of wealth held by the top 1% ($440K annual income and/or $6.7mil net worth IIRC) has been growing for 35 years. And poverty and homelessness in this country have also been growing. Some may argue that this is a good thing, but I disagree.

When I got out of trade school in the early 80's I got a good union job with decent pay and benefits. I didn't have to worry about heath care because I had good health insurance. I was able to take advantage of the tuition reimbursement program and earn a degree. Those stepping stones really helped give me a better life.


Sorry, but the facts don't agree with much of your post.

You also seem to be placing two separate subjects within the same boat. Poverty and homelessness. One isn't always directly related to the other. The homeless situation today has more to do with mental illness and drug addiction than it does poverty. The problem of homelessness increased when the mandated releasing of those in care facilities occurred and the further "rights" given the mentally ill to inhabit the streets of our cities instead of being in institutions. The majority of the rest the so called homeless can be pretty much described as drug addicts.

As for you statement that poverty has been "growing" is also false. Household incomes have increased 3.2% in just a couple of years and is continuing to do so. So have non-white incomes. Also, income inequality has been decreasing as well. Actual poverty rates have been falling every year since 2014. At the present time we are at the same poverty rate as we were in 1965.

Unions aren't the answer, that's for sure.
 
Originally Posted By: NibbanaBanana
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Well Jeffie Bezos gets a small piece of what he deserves.


Just curious...why do you think he deserves something negative? I don't care for his politics...but I was wondering why you see him as a bad guy?


From what I read...

I've heard ...

This is what I learned on the internet. So take it for what it's worth.


Rest assured, that's exactly what I'll do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CHqptjj9E
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg


My wife has a son that has been working in Jeff Bezos's security detail for a couple of years now. He seems to get paid well and gets to travel all over the world meeting influential people.



A very well-paid security force isn't, on the face of it, a very clear indicator that their employer is a very nice guy.
 
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: andrewg


My wife has a son that has been working in Jeff Bezos's security detail for a couple of years now. He seems to get paid well and gets to travel all over the world meeting influential people.



A very well-paid security force isn't, on the face of it, a very clear indicator that their employer is a very nice guy.


I don't know why you'd think that. Plenty of well known people have security details. We live in a nasty society.

Also, Bezos often meets up with some very well known national and international figures. That certainly doesn't make Bezos a good or bad guy, but it does make him worthy of added security.
 
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