Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#231

Post by michaelchisari » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:30 AM UTC

_jal wrote: post #128

reaperducer wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean like American Airlines that had a profit of $7.6 billion in 2015, and didn't save dollar one for a rainy day? Instead, it bought back $15 billion worth of stock over six years while raising fees and shrinking seats? “I don’t think we’re ever going to lose money again,” -Doug Parker, American Airlines CEO, 2017. Let 'em fail.

Letting them all fail would do more harm to others than warranted. But letting the weakest one fail as a warning to the others that the bailouts are over and perhaps they should learn to save against rainy days isn't the worst idea.

If that's the case, if they are that necessary for society, then nationalization should be on the table.

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#232

Post by _rs » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:32 AM UTC

system2 wrote: post #7

eanzenberg wrote: post #3

We notice delivery on Amazon is out to 3-4 days now (on prime) and were not sure if it was due to supply or demand. Seems like demand.

In LA, it is around 6-7 days. I placed some orders, "earliest delivery" is saturday. My other orders are still in transit...

Same in NYC

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#233

Post by michaelchisari » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:32 AM UTC

34679 wrote: post #218

Don't thousands of people work in each warehouse? Are Amazon workers immune? At some point, some of these facilities are going to have closures. I wouldn't predict smooth sailing for Amazon just because they're mail-order instead of brick and mortar.

From what I've seen, keeping regular distance would be easier than most workplaces, and with proper procedures in place (regular sanitization, taking temperatures, etc) you could keep the spread to minimal. But you're right, it would not be immune to labor disruptions.

Right now, if I was an Amazon worker, I'd be hitting up every other employee about forming a union ASAP. They're going to want that kind of bargaining power to protect themselves.

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#234

Post by w-ll » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:32 AM UTC

aswanson wrote: post #189

hirundo wrote: post #68

If this were a Bond movie, Bezos would be cackling in his secret lair about how his viral plan was coming to fruition. Bond (played by Idris Elba) would then cough on Bezos, who would whip out his antidote, which Bond would grab, escape, and release to the world before being killed by Thanos. (Pitch Meeting, call me)

This may not be a movie, but there's no way in hell this timeline isn't some bored kid fresh out of doritos playing with random variables in his universe simulation.

City Skylines i think has a plague disaster mod.

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#235

Post by QuadrupleA » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:34 AM UTC

Hard to find a non-cynical comment on HN these days, so I'll just say: this is cool. A way for people to get crucial goods in a relatively safe way, and some new jobs with a pay boost in a time of economic instability.

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#236

Post by lmm » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:35 AM UTC

opportune wrote: post #204

boomboomsubban wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>it just happens that one is better for shareholders due to the tax system. This would make buybacks worse than dividends for everyone who isn't a shareholder.

Sure. Just like it's worse for everybody that I try to max my investments in my 401k before contributing to after tax accounts.

That tax incentive was set up deliberately. It's socially valuable for people to have retirement savings, so the rest of us are happy to subsidise you in that saving.

Buybacks are an accident of tax law and ought to be taxed the same way as dividends.

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#237

Post by lmm » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:37 AM UTC

majormajor wrote: post #110

fiblye wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We might get a lot, but it likely won’t be enough. Many land owners would already prefer to leave their buildings empty for years over even considering negotiating on rent. I doubt anything can change their minds.

We need taxes on vacancies. Encourage people to let property go to people who can put it to some use. Prevent blight and crime, etc, too.

Put a land value tax in place, and then the incentive to hold property for speculation goes away, in favour of selling it to people who can use it productively.

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#238

Post by Marsymars » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:38 AM UTC

derision wrote: post #225

Marsymars wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ignoring Tech industry, most companies on earth could not withstand a 70% drop in revenue. How many tech companies have withstood a 70% drop in revenue? BlackBerry comes to mind.

Maybe AMD?

30% over 4 years from their peak. Still a pretty big drop. (RIM/BlackBerry has been a 95% drop over 9 years, and hasn't stopped yet, but looks to be levelling off.)

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#239

Post by AnthonyMouse » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:52 AM UTC

a3n wrote: post #178

divbzero wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curse you Bezos for your evil plan to supply us with much needed goods.

At the physical expense of his wage slaves.

The "wage slaves" are given the opportunity to leave and work at any other company that will hire them and yet willingly choose not to. That implies quite a non-traditional definition of slavery.

Re: Amazon to hire 100k warehouse and delivery workers

#240

Post by toast0 » Tue, Mar 17, 2020, 4:52 AM UTC

Johnny555 wrote: post #200

sneak wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fantasy-land aside, Bezos is the CEO of the organization that runs the GovCloud AWS region, which is almost certainly designated critical military infrastructure, JEDI-loss aside. I would be astounded if there are many billionaires in the USA who are not this moment already taking chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine in the recommended prophylaxis doses, even outside of those deemed mission-critical by the most powerful or…

I'm no billionaire, but if I were, I'd either be on my yacht offshore or at my island retreat. Not sure I'd take an anti-malaria drug in the hope it gave me some protection from the pandemic.

Well, maybe in the hopes it would give you weird dreams?