Wow! I never realized that Amazon was such a total sweatshop (literally). Apparently, in order to maintain Bezos 1% lifestyle his plan involves making sure his underlings abuse as many workers as possible by making them work in conditions of extreme heat (and likely cold). Having them work until they pass out, and using Temp Staffing firms to help avoid unionization and the potential of paying a living wage and benefits in Amazon warehouses seems to be a key element in the company strategy to build shareholder value at the expense of workers dignity not to mention health.
Allentown resident Robert Rivas, 38, said he left his permanent Amazon warehouse job after about 13 months to take another job. He said he intensified his job search in May after the warehouse started getting very hot.
"We got emails about the heat, and the heat index got to really outrageous numbers," he said, recalling that the index during one of his shifts hit 114 degrees on the ground floor in the receiving area.
Rivas said he received Amazon email notifications at his work station when employees needed assistance due to heat-related symptoms. He estimated he received between 20 and 30 such emails within a two-hour period one day. Some people pushed themselves to work in the heat because they did not want to get disciplinary points, he said.
"When the heat index exceeded 110, they'd give you voluntary time off," Rivas said. "If you wanted to go home, they'd send you home. But if you didn't have a doctor's note saying you couldn't work in the heat, you'd get points."
Some workers interviewed said that policy has changed.
That policy has changed. Well isn't that special? Amazing how it took the threat of an OSHA investigation and calls from an ER Doc to make them rethink their policy.
The abuse of workers in this economy is becoming so endemic that it's hardly surprising to read something like this. Holding out the "carrot" of permanent employment, just to pull it away for infractions like not being able to process 500 pieces of merchandise in an hour is absurd. Sadly, the 1% want to maintain an environment where workers are willing to be abused while hoping that they become lucky enough to be converted to a permanent, full-time job with a company like Amazon and receive benefits with some chance of security for themselves and their families.
I never realized that Amazon was so entrenched in the race to the bottom in it's treatment of workers, especially temporary ones who are essentially disposable. I guess if there was a way to build and staff those warehouses in China and still make deliveries within a day to East Jeebus, Idaho Amazon executives would probably not just do it, but do it with gusto.