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The fact that Amazon can easily hire people at $15/hr at its current abysmal working conditions does not mean that they morally should. The market conditions le

The fact that Amazon can easily hire people at $15/hr at its current abysmal working conditions does not mean that they morally should. The market conditions let Amazon get away with it, and collective action changes market conditions.

oceanplexian 7y ago
Costco provides health insurance and pays its employees well, and employee satisfaction is high. Chick-fil-A pays its workers $17 an hour minimum and provides health insurance and benefits. There are plenty of other examples of successful businesses that pay above "market conditions". These places are also high on satisfaction and people are treated like human beings. The problem is working for a business owner who's a prick. That's not the fault of capitalism, it's the fault of Amazon's leadership.
- vsl 7y ago
  They too pay at market conditions - everybody does. They just value some things (employee churn, loyalty, valuing the job and being nicer to customers etc.) more than they value money. In Europe, Lidl is known to pay cashiers significantly more than others too. It’s damn hard to get a job there, people don’t leave Lidl jobs; consequently Lidl can afford to be picky and hire the best people in the segment. That’s business strategy, and spending money to accomplish their goal, not paying “above” market to be some sort of socialist Samaritans. Amazon doesn’t give a damn about churn, because they don’t need to, and as long as people are freely willing to work for them, as more than enough clearly are, they don’t need to pay more.
- C1sc0cat 7y ago
  That's not really the same job you would have to compare other Amazon with other warehouse workers (not that amazon works should not have good working conditions. The Q is how does Amazon compare to similar Jobs and in the UK JB Sports seems to have similar problems with hundreds of workers taken to hospital over 4 years. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/29/140-jd-sports-staff-hospital-warehouse-rochdale https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/29/140-jd-spor...

oceanplexian 7y ago

Costco provides health insurance and pays its employees well, and employee satisfaction is high. Chick-fil-A pays its workers $17 an hour minimum and provides health insurance and benefits. There are plenty of other examples of successful businesses that pay above "market conditions". These places are also high on satisfaction and people are treated like human beings. The problem is working for a business owner who's a prick. That's not the fault of capitalism, it's the fault of Amazon's leadership.

vsl 7y ago
They too pay at market conditions - everybody does. They just value some things (employee churn, loyalty, valuing the job and being nicer to customers etc.) more than they value money. In Europe, Lidl is known to pay cashiers significantly more than others too. It’s damn hard to get a job there, people don’t leave Lidl jobs; consequently Lidl can afford to be picky and hire the best people in the segment. That’s business strategy, and spending money to accomplish their goal, not paying “above” market to be some sort of socialist Samaritans. Amazon doesn’t give a damn about churn, because they don’t need to, and as long as people are freely willing to work for them, as more than enough clearly are, they don’t need to pay more.
C1sc0cat 7y ago
That's not really the same job you would have to compare other Amazon with other warehouse workers (not that amazon works should not have good working conditions. The Q is how does Amazon compare to similar Jobs and in the UK JB Sports seems to have similar problems with hundreds of workers taken to hospital over 4 years. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/29/140-jd-sports-staff-hospital-warehouse-rochdale https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/29/140-jd-spor...