Modern Day Sweatshop, American Workers (employee, average, application, profit)

[AnthonyB]

It's sad to think we've regressed to this standard, and we are all culpable:

I Was a Warehouse Wage Slave | Mother Jones

"We are surrounded by signs that state our productivity goals. Other signs proclaim that a good customer experience, to which our goal-meeting is essential, is the key to growth, and growth is the key to lower prices, which leads to a better customer experience. There is no room for inefficiencies. The gal conducting our training reminds us again that we cannot miss any days our first week. There are NO exceptions to this policy. She says to take Brian, for example, who's here with us in training today. Brian already went through this training, but then during his first week his lady had a baby, so he missed a day and he had to be fired. Having to start the application process over could cost a brand-new dad like Brian a couple of weeks' worth of work and pay. Okay? Everybody turn around and look at Brian. Welcome back, Brian. Don't end up like Brian."



"......But lots of warehousing and distribution centers like this also use temps year-round. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that more than 15 percent of pickers, packers, movers, and unloaders are temps. They make $3 less an hour on average than permanent workers. And they can be "temporary" for years. There are so many temps in this warehouse that the staffing agency has its own office here. Industry consultants describe the temp-staffing business as "very, very busy." "On fire." Maximizing profits means making sure no employee has a slow day, means having only as many employees as are necessary to get the job done, the number of which can be determined and ordered from a huge pool of on-demand labor literally by the day. Often, temp workers have to call in before shifts to see if they'll get work. Sometimes, they're paid piece rate, according to the number of units they fill or unload or move. Always, they can be let go in an instant, and replaced just as quickly."


"........I'll admit that I did start crying a little. Not at work, thankfully, since that's evidently frowned upon, but later, when I explained to someone over Skype that it hurts, oh, how my body hurts after failing to make my goals despite speed-walking or flat-out jogging and pausing every 20 or 30 seconds to reach on my tiptoes or bend or drop to the floor for 10.5 hours, and isn't it awful that they fired Brian because he had a baby, and, in fact, when I was hired I signed off on something acknowledging that anyone who leaves without at least a week's notice—whether because they're a journalist who will just walk off or because they miss a day for having a baby and are terminated—has their hours paid out not at their hired rate but at the legal minimum. Which in this state, like in lots of states, is about $7 an hour. Thank God that I (unlike Brian, probably) didn't need to pay for opting into Amalgamated's "limited" health insurance program. Because in my 10.5-hour day I'll make about $60 after taxes.

"This is America?" my Skype pal asks, because often I'm abroad.

Indeed, and I'm working for a gigantic, immensely profitable company. Or for the staffing company that works for that company, anyway. Which is a nice arrangement, because temporary-staffing agencies keep the stink of unacceptable labor conditions off the companies whose names you know."

[Skotina]

We all are dead.

[lovetheduns]

I guess it depends on what a "sweatshop" is.

Personally, I think the folks who are making all of our cheap crap in China are truly working in sweatshops.

Extremely low pay, put into company dormitories with 10+ people in each small room, no breaks, never changing any job so the jobs are so repetitive that people get debilitating soft tissue and bone injuries to the point where they can no longer use their hands aka no OSHA or ergonomics, and the list could go on.

[Suncc49]

Not a sweatshop unless they are paid below minimum wage......

[Ringo1]

Sounds like a sweatshop to me. Sad and depressing.

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

That's a disgusting article. I am extremely pro-labour when it comes to sane working conditions.

Problem is nobody in wall street cares. Amazon is a wall street sweetheart and all it takes is a compassionate fat cat to pause and forget capitalism for a second and think about the cross section of his organization. But let me tell you, it's not even in the foot note on their daily or quarterly goal sheet.

With greater power comes greater responsibility. I think it's an outdated axiom now. New rule in, with greater power comes greater profitability.

I would hope someone would make a video of this sweatshop and get it viral on youtube.

[bs13690]

Boo hoo, if you don't like the job then don't work there. Sounds like a tough job to be sure but nothing that rises to the level of abuse. Workers in the old timey days endured much more abuse and still had the stones to rise up and do something about it (unions, strikes, etc.)

[bs13690]

Originally Posted by bs13690

Boo hoo, if you don't like the job then don't work there. Sounds like a tough job to be sure but nothing that rises to the level of abuse. Workers in the old timey days endured much more abuse and still had the stones to rise up and do something about it (unions, strikes, etc.)

I must be wrong if I agree somewhat with something NOTBossmanLEG says.

[lastinshow]

Originally Posted by lovetheduns

I guess it depends on what a "sweatshop" is.

Personally, I think the folks who are making all of our cheap crap in China are truly working in sweatshops.

Extremely low pay, put into company dormitories with 10+ people in each small room, no breaks, never changing any job so the jobs are so repetitive that people get debilitating soft tissue and bone injuries to the point where they can no longer use their hands aka no OSHA or ergonomics, and the list could go on.

If you read the full article it mentions lack of OSHA standards in these places, as well as repetitive and accidental injuries.

Sad and depressing and really makes me think about buying stuff online. I've already been trying to keep my business as small and local as possible, this makes me want to do more. Can't help but feeling that the response to this step back in working standards to something I'd expect in the 1930's is to step back to older style purchasing.

[lastinshow]

Originally Posted by bs13690

I must be wrong if I agree somewhat with something NOTBossmanLEG says.

Just quoted youself - seems like someone is carrying two "personas" and forgot to change the login.