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I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

theguardian.com

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Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#2
The people who work in these warehouses should unionize. They have a strong case and their roles can not be outsourced. These things have to be local for it to work - it needs people for it to work. Automation may come eventually but it's not as close as people think.

This is the perfect environment for a union to operate in.

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#3
post #2

The people who work in these warehouses should unionize. They have a strong case and their roles can not be outsourced. These things have to be local for it to work - it needs people for it to work. Automation may come eventually but it's not as close as people think. This is the perfect environment for a union to operate in.

They are in some countries as far as I know. For example here in Germany there were strikes by amazon warehouse workers.

It would be interesting to see a comparison of working conditions between the different countries.

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#4
post #2

The people who work in these warehouses should unionize. They have a strong case and their roles can not be outsourced. These things have to be local for it to work - it needs people for it to work. Automation may come eventually but it's not as close as people think. This is the perfect environment for a union to operate in.

Amazon can afford to close warehouses where workers are trying to unionize. Walmart does the same:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/union-walmart-shut-5-stores-ove...

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#5
post #2

The people who work in these warehouses should unionize. They have a strong case and their roles can not be outsourced. These things have to be local for it to work - it needs people for it to work. Automation may come eventually but it's not as close as people think. This is the perfect environment for a union to operate in.

Yes, it's definitely ripe for some old-fashioned unionizing. As for automation, though... large parts are already automated, and they're constantly automating anything that can be automated. Humans are really the "last mile" here.

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#6
A company as big as Amazon doesn't make as much as it does by treating workers fairly. They are the modern day version of old industrial factories. They take down and out people who they know they can exploit and push them to their limits. I've seen a few places in the poorer section of states where most of the locals are forced to work in a small number of factories/plants. Even in these cases though, they are at least treated like humans. The atmosphere at some of these Amazon warehouses serves to dehumanize the workers. You are not a person, you are an object that is expected to obey very strict rules like a dog. The management at these warehouses is even worse, because it's often very abusive people who wind up in those positions.

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#7
post #2

The people who work in these warehouses should unionize. They have a strong case and their roles can not be outsourced. These things have to be local for it to work - it needs people for it to work. Automation may come eventually but it's not as close as people think. This is the perfect environment for a union to operate in.

Right to work, baby. It makes divide and conquer pretty easy.

Between that and the use of contractors, unionization is very difficult to achieve.

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#8
TFA is written by a guy who took the job to collect anecdotes to write a book to show how miserable life is for low wage earners and now it is time to market the book. Sorry but I am skeptic about this article and think it is an exaggeration. At the same time if it is true why are folks not simply resigning and going to a better job? It is a free country isn’t it? Why is minimum wage still so low and why are all political parties not coming together to raise it?

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#9
post #4
post #2

The people who work in these warehouses should unionize. They have a strong case and their roles can not be outsourced. These things have to be local for it to work - it needs people for it to work. Automation may come eventually but it's not as close as people think. This is the perfect environment for a union to operate in.

Amazon can afford to close warehouses where workers are trying to unionize. Walmart does the same: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/union-walmart-shut-5-stores-ove...

How are the conditions through Europe? I know they went on strike or were about to in Spain, any news from other countries?

Re: I worked in an Amazon warehouse. Bernie Sanders is right to target them

#10

A company as big as Amazon doesn't make as much as it does by treating workers fairly. They are the modern day version of old industrial factories. They take down and out people who they know they can exploit and push them to their limits. I've seen a few places in the poorer section of states where most of the locals are forced to work in a small number of factories/plants. Even in these cases though, they are at le…

So the question we have to ask is do we want to live in a society where this treatment is legal?

Obviously Amazon make a lot of profit... if we forced them to treat their workers better surely they'd still make a lot of profit... just slightly less.

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