Amazon Raises Minimum Wage to $15 After Criticism About Workers on Food Stamps

[jnelsoninjax]

Amazon announced this morning that the company will raise its minimum wage to $15 for all American workers, including seasonal employees and those employed by temp agencies. The move is a direct result of public pressure from people who have criticized Amazon for low wages, grueling conditions, and the fact that many Amazon employees rely on food stamps. One in three Amazon warehouse employees in Arizona, for example, are on food stamps.

“We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead,” Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos said in a statement. “We’re excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us.”

The new $15 minimum goes into effect on November 1st and will impact 250,000 American Amazon employees, as well as more than 100,000 seasonal holiday employees that are being staffed up for the coming busy season. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which hasn’t been changed since the summer of 2009. Some major cities have taken it upon themselves to raise their minimum wage, including Seattle which went to $15 earlier this year.

Amazon also says that the company plans to lobby the U.S. government for a change to the minimum wage. Unions and workers rights activists have been calling for a $15 minimum wage for years.

“We will be working to gain Congressional support for an increase in the federal minimum wage. The current rate of $7.25 was set nearly a decade ago,” Jay Carney, senior vice president of Amazon Global Corporate Affairs, said in a statement. “We intend to advocate for a minimum wage increase that will have a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people and families across this country.”

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[nagokod]

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For the many low wage Amazon workers — both full time and temporary — set to receive a raise thanks to the just announced boost in minimum pay to $15/hour, the news is certainly a big plus. It should also be noted that had Amazon not been subject to intense scrutiny and criticism from the likes of Bernie Sanders and others, Jeff Bezos never would have responded with such an aggressive move. That said, if you think a little beyond the surface level about why he’s doing this now and what his real motives are, it becomes clear nobody should take this move at face value.

Source: Bezos’ Decision to Rasie Wages is Largely a Machiavellian Distraction

[DocM]

Jeff Bezos being the leftist hero he is, using WaPo as his personal liberal propoganda arm and all,

 

I wonder how they feel about him giving Amazon employees the raise one day then taking away their stock options and bonuses the next?

 

😄

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/amazon-cuts-bonuses-leads-questions-about-wage-hike-n916466

 

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Amazon cuts to bonuses lead to questions about wage hike

 

Enthusiasm for Amazon’s decision to raise the minimum company wage to $15 per hour has been tempered by concern that the company may be short-changing some of its more senior warehouse workers.

As part of Amazon’s new pay structure, the company ended its bonus and stock 

incentive programs for warehouse and customer service workers. Those payments rewarded workers for staying with the company and for working consistently.

 

"It's a joke," said Amazon warehouse employee Vicki Shannon Allen, who made headlines this summer after she made videos documenting her experience as a homeless Amazon employee. "We get no more bonuses for not missing any work. "

 

Shannon also said she has concerns over what will happen to the portion of her income that was delivered in the form of stock options.

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[wakjak]

17 hours ago, DocM said:

"We get no more bonuses for not missing any work. "

Oh boo frickin hoo... 

[jnelsoninjax]

7 hours ago, wakjak said:

Oh boo frickin hoo... 

I have only gotten one of those (bonuses), it was around $100, which was nice, but nothing I was expecting. I have only been working full time since August, and will get one more the end of this month.