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They're just forcing Amazon to invest more in automation. It's not going to go their way, not in the long term.

_Understated_ 6y ago
The automation is inevitable. Amazon aren't keeping that a secret. At most, they are singling out their Fulfillment Center to be the first trials but the automation is coming regardless of the strikes. Imagine being able to run a warehouse in total darkness, with no heating or ventilation. The cost savings from things like having toilets and a canteen could be worth a bit too. You could also expand into the car park and use up most of that since you already own the land. It's too good an opportunity to pass up I reckon (from an Amazon perspective anyway!)
- 8note 6y ago
  I don't think you'll be able to escape ventilation and plumbing. There will still be people going to those fulfillment centers for maintenance and the like. The parking lot size is likely determined by mandatory minimums too, so there's not as much gain there either
kadoban 6y ago
Nothing goes anyone's way in the long term. In the meantime though, these people have hard jobs that in many cases don't pay enough to actually live.
tyingq 6y ago
You could have said the same for the UAW, but I suspect the lifetime earnings and working conditions for those auto workers were much better than they would have been without the union.
dagw 6y ago
They're fucked long term no matter what they do. That doesn't mean they have accept being fucked short term as well
legulere 6y ago
Automation is a good thing. It leads to higher productivity and people can do other things instead. If a job cannot pay a living wage and doesn’t offer a decent work environment it shouldn’t.
- aidenn0 6y ago
  In my lifetime though, the median worker has had their productivity go up and their real-pay stagnate. With the trajectory we are on, the people who "can do other things instead" will get jobs that generate more profit for their employer for the same pay as their previous job. The saying is "a rising tide lifts all boats" but at this point it seems that only a select few are granted boats.
AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
Good. In theory everyone should be better off if we automate shitty jobs away, the only reason that isn't always so is because we've constructed our society to concentrate the results of this increased efficiency rather than distribute it.
tchaffee 6y ago
It's also not going to go Amazon's way if no one has a job to pay for stuff.

The automation is inevitable. Amazon aren't keeping that a secret. At most, they are singling out their Fulfillment Center to be the first trials but the automation is coming regardless of the strikes. Imagine being able to run a warehouse in total darkness, with no heating or ventilation. The cost savings from things like having toilets and a canteen could be worth a bit too. You could also expand into the car park and use up most of that since you already own the land. It's too good an opportunity to pass up I reckon (from an Amazon perspective anyway!)

8note 6y ago
I don't think you'll be able to escape ventilation and plumbing. There will still be people going to those fulfillment centers for maintenance and the like. The parking lot size is likely determined by mandatory minimums too, so there's not as much gain there either

kadoban 6y ago

Nothing goes anyone's way in the long term. In the meantime though, these people have hard jobs that in many cases don't pay enough to actually live.

tyingq 6y ago

You could have said the same for the UAW, but I suspect the lifetime earnings and working conditions for those auto workers were much better than they would have been without the union.

dagw 6y ago

They're fucked long term no matter what they do. That doesn't mean they have accept being fucked short term as well

legulere 6y ago

Automation is a good thing. It leads to higher productivity and people can do other things instead. If a job cannot pay a living wage and doesn’t offer a decent work environment it shouldn’t.

aidenn0 6y ago
In my lifetime though, the median worker has had their productivity go up and their real-pay stagnate. With the trajectory we are on, the people who "can do other things instead" will get jobs that generate more profit for their employer for the same pay as their previous job. The saying is "a rising tide lifts all boats" but at this point it seems that only a select few are granted boats.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago

Good. In theory everyone should be better off if we automate shitty jobs away, the only reason that isn't always so is because we've constructed our society to concentrate the results of this increased efficiency rather than distribute it.

tchaffee 6y ago

It's also not going to go Amazon's way if no one has a job to pay for stuff.