For months, Bernie has been documenting and highlighting the vast disparity between low-wage workers at Amazon and the fabulous wealth of its managers/founders. His efforts have amplified the #FightFor15 movement and Amazon workers demanding better pay and conditions.
Many workers were previously making far less. Over 50% of Amazon employees make less than $28,446 per year. Amazon employs over 500,000 people globally. The company tried last week to dampen the criticism by raising wages $0.25 or $0.50 for some employees. There was pushback.
With more than half a million workers, only Walmart is a larger employer in the United States. The median Amazon employee makes $28,446 annually, according to the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Excluding part-timers and workers in other countries brings the median above $34,000, the firm has said. [...]
The worker said his pay increased from $11.25 per hour to $11.50. He likes his job, he said, but resented the company’s claim in an all-hands meeting a few weeks ago that factoring in stock awards means his hourly pay is actually $15.
Today, Amazon buckled to the public shaming.
Amazon has announced plans to raise the company's minimum wage in the US to $15, following sustained pressure from Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders. In a statement released Tuesday, Amazon said the salary increase, to more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25, would take effect on November 1.
Amazon said the change would affect more than 250,000 full- and part-time employees plus more than 100,000 seasonal staff members who work for Amazon over the holiday season.
"We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," CEO Jeff Bezos said. "We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us." — www.businessinsider.com/...
Amazon also announced it will lobby the federal government to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 (it is currently $7.25). The pay hike applies to full-time, part-time and seasonal employees as well.
Bernie will host a press conference on this welcome news:
It’s worth noting that this was an international effort, led by workers. Bernie and others helped amplify and support it. But it was led by workers.
— @subirgrewal