Amazon - Get The F Out Of Seattle - Take Your Greedy CEO To Hell With You

[nolabels]

51. Amazon Warehouse Employees' Message to Jeff Bezos -- We Are Not Robots

The age-old tactic that it is easier to exploit workers rather than streamline production always holds true. It doesn't take a crystal ball the know we are going have some interesting labor disputes in the near future.

Amazon Warehouse Employees' Message to Jeff Bezos -- We Are Not Robots
(snip)
The former employee claimed to have "clocked 15 miles a day" while working 10 and a half hour shifts, four days a week, as a "water spider," a person who supplies the people who pack products to be shipped to customers. Sometimes, the person said that Amazon would force employees to work a fifth day during the week - allegedly called "mandatory overtime."

Amazon declined to comment on record about overtime shifts.

The former worker said at least one Amazon manager is always manning the floor, ready to write up employees on an Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPad, and reprimand them if they fail to pack 120 items per hour - the alleged goal set by Amazon. If a worker does meet the goal, the former employee said a manager will instruct them to "do 140." If they don't meet the goal, they could have to work the extra fifth day.

The former employee said if workers don't take on the "mandatory overtime" shift, 10 hours can be cut from their vacation time to make up for it. Amazon declined to comment on record about this claim.

"They know exactly who you are and what you are doing at all times," the person said of managers. "Sometimes you can sit for 30 seconds and not get caught. Sometimes one minute and not get caught."

This former worker, too, claimed that employees are not allowed to sit on company time. "Caught" could mean that a manager will yell at an employee and then "write something" on their iPad that goes into his or her record, according to the person.

"You can be released at any time," the former employee said. "They won't even tell you that you're fired. One day, you just show up and your ID card doesn't swipe into the building." (snip)
https://www.thestreet.com/story/14312539/1/amazon-warehouse-employees-discuss-grueling-work.html