On Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 01:38:13PM -0500, frank theriault wrote: > On Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 12:38 PM, John Francis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I wonder just how many of the complaints are just because these > > are temporary workers booked through one particular temp agency? > > > > For one thing, what's ridiculous about "find your own transport > > or pay to use our bus" (supplied, note, by the temp agency, not > > by Amazon). That's been the deal almost everywhere I've ever > > worked - only one place had a free shuttle from downtown to the > > office, and even there I still had to get to the pickup point. > > > > Another point: hourly-paid temporary workers aren't eligible for > > paid sick leave in most places I know. And if you're hiring lots > > of temporary workers you want people who will show up - if there > > are more applicants than there are jobs most managers will choose > > to hire workers who can be relied on to show up. It's not as if > > people are being fired from permanent positions - temp contracts > > are generally on a week-to-week (or even day-to-day) basis. > > Failing to renew a contract is not the same as firing somebody. > > > > Not that I'm saying the article is totally without substance. But > > it looks to me like tabloid journalism, not news reporting. > > I'm sure that Amazon is more than happy to wipe their hands clean - > after all, they contracted out their warehousing/distribution > services, so personnel/human rights issues are now owned by the > warehouse, right?
Not the way I read the article. It's an Amazon warehouse, so the issues are owned by Amazon. And some of the employees are permanent employees. Others are temporary (especially around now, when there is a large demand for seasonal workers). > The reality is that Amazon will do whatever they can to decrease their > costs. They know damn well that by selling distribution to the lowest > bidder that the warehouse will be paying rock-bottom wages and > mistreating their employees. That's your interpretation. I don't read it that way. > Amazon is doing the same thing as Western companies manufacturing in > (for instance) Asia. What we don't see won't hurt them (or their > image) - after all, it doesn't say "Amazon" on those warehouse doors, > does it? Yes, it does. > The fact that these employees (because that's what they are, > employees) are on contract only speaks to the fact that Big Business > will do whatever they can to put the screws to those who work for them > so that they can increase profits. > > I should know, I've been on contract for about 12 years now. No paid > vacation. No raises. No benefits. No sick days. Then elect a government that outlaws those practices. It can be done; in California, for example, a long-term contractor (including somebody who is hired via a temp agency) has pretty much the same rights as a full-time employee. And you can't work salaried employees 60 hours a week without paying overtime, either. > > Who, me bitter? > > cheers,. > frank, looking for a better job > > > > -- > "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
