WHY AMAZON IS NOT AS AWESOME AS YOU THINK IT IS

[katekat]

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?

Comments

[akavertigo]

Has Amazon had any good press in that past three years? 'Cause I honestly can't remember any. (Keep in mind, I used to have a Prime account.)

[katekat]

Probably only the stuff they've bought and paid for? If you google Amazon in the news it's mostly talking about their product roll outs...

so you used to have a prime account? do you still buy from them? i'm having trouble figuring out if not buying from them is doable, you know?

[akavertigo]

Though it speaks poorly of my morals: yes, I do. Most of my used book purchases are courtesy of Amazon, because their prices and shipping rates are hard to beat. Plus they still have one of the best browsing. I quit buying new publications from them a while back, as their publishing practices for current authors turned rather...bleh.

[katekat]

I don't think it speaks poorly of your morals! i think that it speaks badly of the system of capitalism that we have in place that it encourages/demands a kind of market domination that has no regard for means of production, you know? because honestly, i'm on such a ludicrously fixed income and if i have to buy books for school (which i do) i gotta get 'em as cheap as i can, and amazon? it's the place, the only place.

[akavertigo]

Ironically enough, Amazon's behavior made me rethink my position on rethink my position on self-publishing. I used to be wary to the point of repelled by the notion, but now I'm seriously warming up to the idea of established, and newer, writers trying it out. The profit margin there is warbly but, hey, the way Amazon keeps going the small time prints won't be getting much anyway.

[moirariordan]

ew, uch, blah, not cool.

I'm in the same boat as Vertigo in that I don't want to buy from Amazon, but it sometimes is my only choice, especially for books (and textbooks) that I can't find at bookstores or at other places. Sites like Chegg (where you can rent textbooks cheap cheap cheap) are awesome and I use them when I can, but their selection just isn't as extensive.

It sucks, because a lot of these situations, in which I want to make a statement with my buying/shopping choices, I can't make because I'm broke and don't have any other options. Like Walmart. I hate Walmart. But I still shop there, because where else am I going to buy jeans?

[katekat]

Agreed lady. I am right in the same boat with you, honestly. Like the exact same boat.

And a wiser friend than me pointed out to me that pretty much 90% of the places that I get clothes from, shop at for housing goods, etc, have products in China and other parts of the world where there are less restrictive laws and more sweatshops. Beyond Walmart - even TraderJoe's (which is where I do most of my grocery shopping) doesn't allow it's workers to unionize, uses strongarm tactics on its suppliers, and has historically bad practices about food recalls.

I wasn't really asking anyone to stop buying there, because I'm pretty sure there's no way i can legitimately stop from buying books there - they dominate the market too much. I just wanted to signal boost the fact that while they are sometimes really cool, they are also sometimes really crappy, you know?

also, i blame capitalism for the whole thing. where is the alternative to that?? we need it!