WHY AMAZON IS NOT AS AWESOME AS YOU THINK IT IS

Look, I got all excited about the Amazon Fire too. But a news story is basically being ignored about Amazon that goes beyond it's mob-boss tactics of strong arming of publishers, or it's censoring of books... and that is that Amazon treats their warehouse employees like crap too, in order to keep their bottom line 'in line.'

Now, a huge investigation in the Allentown Morning Call shows Amazon treating its local warehouse workers like dirt—and endangering their health.

Spencer Soper’s terrific piece of reporting goes around the company, which wouldn’t respond to his interview requests, and uses interviews with twenty workers as well as open records requests to show how the company ran a modern-day sweatshop. Literally. [ from this article summarizing the Morning Call article ]

THE MORNING CALL ARTICLE ITSELF

and, from their followup article that includes Amazon's response:

One former Amazon warehouse worker who read the company's statement said he was disappointed because it did not address major concerns among workers, namely, the rapid production rates they are expected to achieve to avoid being terminated, and the frequent turnover. [ the rest of the article here ]

Honestly, with info like this, while the fire is an attractive, shiny toy, Amazon sucks. Please don't forget it?