Perhaps Amazon could add a checkbox to the shopping cart: [] pay 10% more that will go directly into the pockets of the packers.
I wouldn't even mind a picture gallery of everybody who handled my package.
The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
21–30 of 73 posts
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
The power of labor unions for low-paid workers is not as strong as you think. Where I went to school (U Chicago), there was a very active mostly student-organized university workers' labor union, but workplace violations were still routine. The power to strike is no help when you depend on your paycheck to survive, and the union's legal clout was no help when the laws were hard to enforce and deep-pocketed employers…
The power to strike is no help when you depend on your paycheck to survive Well managed unions maintain a strike fund so that their members can survive the economic hardship of a strike. After googling a little I think you are talking about Graduate Students United - their dues are only $5/year, which means they aren't even in the same league as the serious blue collar labor unions. http://uchicagogsu.org/faq/
Actually I was talking about the organization that represents low-paid university workers, like janitors and cafeteria workers. I reworded my post to clarify.
Graduate students are a whole 'nother basket of beans.
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unemployed, but more importantly, unexploited.
Does being unexploited pay the heating bill? That's all minimum wage workers really care about. Not some nebulous ivory tower view on economics.
No, but as soon as there's enough permanently unemployed workers, the sooner we get our precious guaranteed income, right?
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unemployed, but more importantly, unexploited.
Does being unexploited pay the heating bill? That's all minimum wage workers really care about. Not some nebulous ivory tower view on economics.
I believe he's being satirical. Obviously a bad job is (usually) better than no job, that's the point. The whole concept of "exploitation" makes no sense. The businesses that do hire are benefiting people way more than those that don't hire any at all or have replaced workers with automation.
Something like a basic income could distribute money from all those industries at the same time to those who need it. It would solve the unemployment problem, or at least make it more bearable, and improve working conditions for these workers.
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unfortunately, the power is in the hands of the temp workers.... if they all stick together. If they all collectively demanded better working conditions and better pay, they could succeed. After all, the work won't get done if they don't do it. Management certainly isn't going to dirty their hands in this kind of job. And after all what we see, it really is have-nots (proletariat) versus the haves(capitalists/manager…
Or be replaced by robots. All I could think of reading that is why they haven't figured out how to fold and tape a cardboard box with a robot yet. They should get on that, and then those people won't have to be subjected to those conditions anymore.
Agreed. The automobile manufacturers were very successful in improving quality and efficiency via robotics, and were also encouraged to do so by enormous drags from labor unions. Warehouses have also increased automation, but clearly they can improve more. Beyond the warehouse, I'm eager to see their deployment in retail stores and fast-food. Consumers will benefit from efficiencies, and the unhappy workers will be free to find jobs more to their liking.
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
The power to strike is no help when you depend on your paycheck to survive Well managed unions maintain a strike fund so that their members can survive the economic hardship of a strike. After googling a little I think you are talking about Graduate Students United - their dues are only $5/year, which means they aren't even in the same league as the serious blue collar labor unions. http://uchicagogsu.org/faq/
Actually I was talking about the organization that represents low-paid university workers, like janitors and cafeteria workers. I reworded my post to clarify. Graduate students are a whole 'nother basket of beans.
farm workers have the UFW but being a farm worker remains one of the most intensely miserable jobs in the US, with constant rule-breaking by the employers, and a lot of unrepresented workers.
I don't think it is fair to blame the large number of unrepresented workers on the union itself. I'm sure the UFW wants to increase their membership past the paltry ~5,000 it has.
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does being unexploited pay the heating bill? That's all minimum wage workers really care about. Not some nebulous ivory tower view on economics.
I believe he's being satirical. Obviously a bad job is (usually) better than no job, that's the point. The whole concept of "exploitation" makes no sense. The businesses that do hire are benefiting people way more than those that don't hire any at all or have replaced workers with automation. Something like a basic income could distribute money from all those industries at the same time to those who need it. It would…
Totally agree. As productivity continually improves, I see no way to move forward without a basic income. And this is coming from a person with libertarian-leaning ideals.
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#28Perhaps Amazon could add a checkbox to the shopping cart: [] pay 10% more that will go directly into the pockets of the packers. I wouldn't even mind a picture gallery of everybody who handled my package.
Laying on guilt like that in the checkout process really turns some people off though.
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does being unexploited pay the heating bill? That's all minimum wage workers really care about. Not some nebulous ivory tower view on economics.
No, but as soon as there's enough permanently unemployed workers, the sooner we get our precious guaranteed income, right?
This is similar to the logic people use with the War on Drugs. As soon as there are enough dead Mexicans and gangsters in the street, eventually they HAVE to lift prohibition, right?
The government can remain irrational for longer than we can remain alive.
Re: The Workers Who Bring You Black Friday
#30Perhaps Amazon could add a checkbox to the shopping cart: [] pay 10% more that will go directly into the pockets of the packers. I wouldn't even mind a picture gallery of everybody who handled my package.
wow