Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#291

Post by mikeash » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 1:40 AM UTC

harryh wrote: post #290

mikeash wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Amazon profit ($11 billion and change last year), workforce size (650,000ish) and divide. That gives you a lower bound for the worst case where all Amazon employees are warehouse workers.

Amazon earns a lot of money from quite a few things that have nothing to do with warehouse workers. In particular I have read that half their profits come from AWS. I don't think that is enough data to support your claim. A better set of numbers to look at might be Walmarts (more of a pure retail company). They make maybe 10B in profit per year (it varies a little) with 2M workers. That's $5,000 per worker which isn'…

Money is fungible. Amazon can afford to pay better. The only data you need to know that is what I gave.

You’re giving a reason why they might not want to. I don’t think anyone here is arguing that they want to. If they wanted to, they would be doing it already.

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#292

Post by fuzz4lyfe » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 1:46 AM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #255

fuzz4lyfe wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you eat out you can probably afford to tip better, why don't you? Do you hate restaurant workers?

I try to tip well. If you think I should tip better, make your case. If I disagree, I’ll make my case. I can guarantee you that if that happens, my argument won’t be that I’m tipping the market rate.

[flagged]

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#293

Post by fuzz4lyfe » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 1:50 AM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #291

harryh wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon earns a lot of money from quite a few things that have nothing to do with warehouse workers. In particular I have read that half their profits come from AWS. I don't think that is enough data to support your claim. A better set of numbers to look at might be Walmarts (more of a pure retail company). They make maybe 10B in profit per year (it varies a little) with 2M workers. That's $5,000 per worker which isn'…

Money is fungible. Amazon can afford to pay better. The only data you need to know that is what I gave. You’re giving a reason why they might not want to. I don’t think anyone here is arguing that they want to. If they wanted to, they would be doing it already.

So they are to run at a loss? Why not simply close down the warehouses and liberate these poor people from these terrible jobs?

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#294

Post by mikeash » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 1:51 AM UTC

fuzz4lyfe wrote: post #292

mikeash wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I try to tip well. If you think I should tip better, make your case. If I disagree, I’ll make my case. I can guarantee you that if that happens, my argument won’t be that I’m tipping the market rate.

[flagged]

“If you were to tip say $50 to $100 each time you ate out this could be a reality.”

Exactly how often do you think I eat out?

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#295

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 1:56 AM UTC

reroute1 wrote: post #55

Eric_WVGG wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. I read an article last week about a guy who got fired for "unnecessary motion." (will update this comment with a link if I can dig it up.) Here's a story about a patent on a wristband that enables this kind of tracking: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jan/31/amazon-wa... It is humanly possible. As a teenager, I worked at UPS, where I was expected to stack boxes real-life-Tetris-style into a van at a…

I also did this and have younger friends who still do. I much preferred that job to a customer service one where I had to deal with angry people all day. I was also sorting via zip codes and enjoyed the physical work... I don't understand what people accepting a factory job expect. It is repetitive, non-creative, work. That is the idea.

[deleted]

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#296

Post by PopeDotNinja » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 1:57 AM UTC

mdorazio wrote: post #49

enlyth wrote: post #15

I agree with the worker in the video, they should be treated as human beings. One of the issues is doing a simple, monotonous task every 8 seconds, 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, without creating anything of value, is going to be dehumanizing and unfulfilling regardless. Robots carrying out this work would probably be for the best for everyone involved, although Amazon should do right by the workers carrying them ove…

> The compensation should reflect the mental and physical stress they put people through. As with all companies paying workers to do a job, the compensation should reflect the confluence of supply and demand in the market. The fact that Amazon can easily hire as many workers as it wants at $15/hr says that they are paying their employees plenty already. It bothers me that people are constantly demonizing Amazon for t…

I wonder if a Amazon warehouse workers have tried using diapers & tried expensing them. Whether the claim for approved or rejected, it'd be +1 piece of evidence to highlight you-no-pee-pee shenanigans.

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#297

Post by BurningFrog » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 1:59 AM UTC

cfqycwz wrote: post #86

OscarCunningham wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> without creating anything of value That's not the right way of phrasing it. They're producing a substantial amount of value, in the real sense that the world is a better place because of the work they've done.

And in the sense that Amazon generates tremendous profit for its owners, which has to come from somebody's labor!

And also value in the worker's wages as well as customer value.

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#298

Post by mikeash » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:08 AM UTC

fuzz4lyfe wrote: post #293

mikeash wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Money is fungible. Amazon can afford to pay better. The only data you need to know that is what I gave. You’re giving a reason why they might not want to. I don’t think anyone here is arguing that they want to. If they wanted to, they would be doing it already.

So they are to run at a loss? Why not simply close down the warehouses and liberate these poor people from these terrible jobs?

Who said anything about running at a loss? I’m just stating that they can pay more by taking less of a profit, “the market” doesn’t stop them.

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#299

Post by BurningFrog » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:08 AM UTC

Since Amazon easily hires and retains people at these wages, there very likely isn't anything wrong with these jobs. At least not compared to similar jobs for the same segment of the work force.

What I think is really going on here is that Amazon has a PR vulnerability that can be exploited. With enough videos and testimony produced contrasting the plight of the poor oppressed workers with their boss, The World's Richest Man, Amazon will need to do something to make this go away.

Or at least that's what this campaign hopes.

Re: Amazon workers launch protests on Prime Day

#300

Post by fuzz4lyfe » Tue, Jul 16, 2019, 2:11 AM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #294

fuzz4lyfe wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

“If you were to tip say $50 to $100 each time you ate out this could be a reality.” Exactly how often do you think I eat out?

Doesn't matter, like Amazon it doesn't matter that everyone else pays much less than you (market rate) instead you are personally responsible for the lives of anyone you pay for a service. If the amount you are willing to pay doesn't result in a great standard of living then you are at fault.