Last year I spent $1738 on Amazon.com. I have spent $1610 so far this year and I was planning to spend at least 90% of my X-mas budget on the site. I am now re-thinking my support. Last year Jeff Bezos, Amazons founder and CEO, donated $2.5 million to the pro gay marriage initiative in Washington State. He purchased the Washington Post this year for $250 million and pledged to keep its progressive leaning philosophy.
As far as the new batch of celebrity CEO's go, he is fairly low key, which has probably masked a few traits about him and his company that we crucify other CEO's and companies for.
Join me on the other side of the squiggle.
After dinner tonight I read a few diary's on Kos and then headed over to the Huffington Post. The headline is a batch of stories highlighting the unlucky souls who have to work today. One headline in particular caught my eye: The Dark Truth About Amazon Warehouses. Being a huge fan of the site, I clicked on the story and proceeded to read.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
I am now officially an ex Amazon patron. Are you kidding me!!! The breaks; the 25min "pat down" to go home added to the blatant anti union stance; the working conditions; Starting wages of $10.50-$11 with mandatory overtime; You can only get hired through a temp service.
On the progressive sites we all frequent, Target, Walmart, Kmart etc...are all raked over the coals. Have we been willfully blind to Amazon or do they just have a great strategy to keep the abuses from being as high profile? I am seeing no difference between the former and the latter.
And for those who say "they don't have to there if its so bad", I say fuck you! In this economy, the choices are not there.
I don't have to boycott Walmart because there isn't one located in San Francisco proper and I almost never leave the Mission anyway (we have everything). But as of tonight I am done with Amazon.