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Subscribe to RSSThe weak job market has left many Americans so desperate for any job that they will put up with a lot: Low pay, a lack of benefits, even unpleasant working conditions.
A recent story from The Morning Call, a daily newspaper in Pennsylvania, details just how difficult some of those jobs can be.
The story, based on interviews with 20 current and former workers, recounts the experiences of temporary and permanent workers whose job it was to move inventory through an Amazon.com warehouse in Pennsylvania for $11 or $12 an hour.
The workers told the paper they were pushed to work harder and harder, and reprimanded or threatened with being fired if they didn’t live up to the expectations.
The worst part for many workers was that they were being asked to keep up the brisk pace during summer days when, they say, the heat index sometimes exceeded 110 degrees.
“During summer heat waves, Amazon arranged to have paramedics parked in ambulances outside, ready to treat any workers who dehydrated or suffered other forms of heat stress. Those who couldn't quickly cool off and return to work were sent home or taken out in stretchers and wheelchairs and transported to area hospitals. And new applicants were ready to begin work at any time,” The Morning Call’s Spencer Soper wrote.
The conditions prompted a complaint from a nearby emergency room doctor who had treated workers for heat-related injuries, and an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, The Morning Call reported.
After the OSHA inspection, Amazon installed additional fans and made other changes, according to the paper, but employees said it wasn’t enough to keep some areas cool.
Elmer Goris, one of the employees interviewed, told The Morning Call it was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
“I never felt like passing out in a warehouse and I never felt treated like a piece of crap in any other warehouse but this one," Goris said. "They can do that because there aren't any jobs in the area."
Both Amazon and the temporary staffing firm that employed some of the workers told The Mornng Call they take worker safety seriously but declined to address specific concerns the employees interviewed had raised.
In an e-mailed statement, an Amazon.com spokeswoman told msnbc.com the company does have air conditioning in some fulfillment centers, such as in Phoenix, and is in the process of adding air conditioning at other facilities.
"At Amazon, the safety and well-being of our employees is our number one priority. We have several procedures in place to ensure the safety of our associates during the summer heat, including increased breaks, shortened shifts, constant reminders and help about hydration, and extra ice machines," the company said in the statement.
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Instead of having an ambulance parked outside, it sounds like these employees need a waah-mbulance.
For thousands of years people have worked in hot conditions, and their jobs were a lot harder than working in a shaded warehouse for 8 hours with regular breaks provided. Stay hydrated and stop complaining.
I work in a warehouse, its not easy or fun work and it can be very tough and frustrating. This almost sounds like a smear on Amazon as I have had to work in 0 degree cooler conditions and 90+ degree conditions, some days are better than others. Just happy I have a job.
Wow. You are a jackass! Do you work for Amazon?
Easy to talk when you sit in air conditioning and are getting paid to spill crap like that on the web/
My mother used to say: those that have full bellies cannot understand hunger, you have proved the point;
A big corp like Amazon making money as they do out of nothing...should install something or hire more people and pay them better because of the situation, cut your profit and do some charity at home where it is needed, rather than show off the million you gave away for a tax deduction that benefits you most likely.
Empathy is lacking in America, that is the seat of compassion, hard to find in warmongering nations who calls dead people Collateral Damage, if it was your daughter working there would it be different?
So your solution is basically to de-evolve as a species? All in the name of corporate greed?
The Tea Party in America. Just not content until we're all dying in the streets while the CEOs step over us on their way to the Hamptons.
The Tea Party? Grow up.
I agree, it isn't just the tea party it is all of their partners in crime under the GOP banner. More for those who already have too much, nothing at all for everyone else. Welcome back to the 19th century, brought to you by your friends and the GOP.
I don't know about the Tea Party, but it does seem there is some one out there that's H#ll bent on the total destruction of the American people and the worldwide economic system.
Learn Mandarin Now!
Beat the rush.
Who needs terrorists when we are destroying ourselves?!
Wow. You are a jackass! Do you work for Amazon?
Alistair von Kensington
Unfortunately I have nothing meaningful or erudite to add... You're just an a-hole...
It's nice to hear from the conservative element . . . die American workers, and we'll move your job to Mexico . . . but the story illustrates the choices America must make. The right would have you believe its a choice of becoming a 3rd world country or lose jobs to the 3rd world. Of course, they want everyone else to accept 3rd world conditions, while the wealthy just get more obscenely wealthy.
While it's not great news, the answer may be to remain patient. Simply wait out the world-wide revolution. The Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, etc. peoples will also demand a fair wage, health care, an end to child labor,etc. (All of this, of course, while Republicans and Tea Bigots demand an end to worker protections.) At that point jobs will begin to return to America. Meanwhile, I'll start a small business in guillotines. I'm going to predict that business will explode when the lower and middle classes tire of watching the wealthy laugh as they pile up money and applaud the greedy. it will come to an end; it always does.
Alistair blamed "American Laziness", you blame the "American Tea Party". At least Alistair blamed it on something related to this article. In my opinion it was probably an over zealous manager ( or group thereof ) taking advantage of people desperate for work. But, I wasn't there, so it's only a guess.
That's about the coldest if not stupidist statement ever. There are many conditions which are aggravated by severe heat and hydration is only part of the solution. In addition, those folks who worked without air conditioning for "thousands of years" were conditioned to do so over that period of time when there was no AC. Current day humans in developed countries are "conditioned" by AC an ill suited to work for long periods in oppressive heat. Note the misters at NFL and MLB games designed to cool the athletes.
Well Mr Alistair von Kensington, with a name like that, sounds like you were born with a silver spoon in one orifice or another. Does that mean the rest of us have to be grateful to be worked like animals while those at the top make more money than they know what to do with?
If it's true, shame on Amazon!
if you want more, work hard and learn more. Silver spoons aren't how people make a good living, It's hard work, and a desire to succeed. If you sit back waiting for those that have put in the effort to make a good living to give you money, you'll sadly be disappointed. I don't work long hours, giving my all to make a good living so people like you can suck off my earnings. F-U!
Sad commentary on U.S. Business & working conditions. How long will it take Amazon to burn through available labor before they become the last choice of places to work. Its expensive to maintain a revolving door policy with workers. Not to mention Amazon avoids accountability & corporate responsibility by utilizing Temp Agencies to staff their warehouses. No employees equals....no unemployment, medical & workers comp benefits. Until Amazon seriously cleans up their act, I don't need to give my business to Amazon.
BTW, I live in the great Lehigh Valley area and I don't know of 1 person who doesn't have some connection to Amazon warehouse.....a friend, relative, classmate or neighbor who hasn't worked there. The horror stories are nothing new. The warehouse has the largest calls into the local police department over problems.
My son encountered a similar experience with a summer employment stint...he expected the heat, and he expected to work long hours-even welcomed it as a way to earn more for his return to school in the fall. He did not work for Amazon, so I am not blasting Amazon...but I question how much impact OSHA has at all in day to day life for most warehouse staff. My son had to go through training and orientation-rules learned were also posted prominently on the walls throughout the facility, but that doesn't mean that they were followed.
Trucks were supposed to be loaded using teams of two workers. No worker was to lift any carton in excess of 50 lbs without a "lift buddy". No lifting support belts were offered for either borrowing or purchase. Repeatedly, my son would find himself alone on a line with no "lift buddy" because others had called in sick (but trucks still had to be loaded) Often he said that other workers would be standing idle because there was no truck in their bay, nor anything coming down the belt for them to load, but these workers were not re-assigned to help the singles on other lines. As a single, he had no choice but to move boxes that were a great deal larger than the 50 lb maximum. If he asked for assistance, he was threatened with being cut because he was only seasonal anyway. Regular employees were allowed to leave early due to "heat exhaustion" but not docked anything by way of pay....the temps were expected to stay longer to fill the gaps. And I discovered it had little to do with the greedy business owners on the top, but rather the middle management supervisors who relished the power they had over the workers, and were especially vindictive to those who were working and going to school, who didn't expect that warehouse work was going to be their life calling....in other words, they could make others miserable for the unhappiness that they seemed to have with their job and position in the company. They also liked manipulating the people under their supervision by offering special priveleges, withholding priveleges, excusing behavior in some that would result in dismissal for others. It had nothing to do with corporate policy, but what went on in that particular facility at that given time. And those likely to complain, or to answer truthfully should OSHA visit, were conveniently not scheduled to work, or excused early, or sent home as not needed that day if a visit was suspected. No mystery to my son as to why the majority of workers in his department, and on his shift, were completely unable to read and write in English and needed the assistance of a translator during training sessions and policy staff meetings. Having taken foreign language, he could understand enough to know that the translators were not enlightening any of them about their rights as workers under OSHA regulations, and banking on the fact that they couldn't read and understand the required OSHA postings.
Any particular reason why your son didn't requested enforcement agency involvement? EEOC and OSHA are both known to conduct undercover investigations.
Because kids that age mistakenly still expect life to be fair.
In the passed, I have worked in a warehouse that could on some days seem hotter than Hell itself. Anytime a person around heavy equipment or manufacturing equipment, that produces heat, along with a lack of air movement within an old building, there is bound to be numerous problems. Drink lots of water, put a towel on your neck if possible and take care of yourselves for your next job.
One of the many sad variables in American manufacturing is
that a lot of our “manufacturing buildings” are outdated and antiquated by any
human standards. A lot of companies haven’t kept up with technological
advancements on their buildings and equipment or had already downsized their
employees and went elsewhere to manufacturer cheaply. I would imagine this won’t
be the last story to come out about this type of situation. But updating
antiquated buildings and equipment also creates American jobs.
I used to work in those kinds of warehouses. Good motivator to get some office skills. Those are "starter jobs", not careers.
Sadly, for many of the long-term unemployed they have become careers.
JJ Johnnyreb what a cool name!
I have a good job but I also have what people like you lack, EMPATHY. Yes, a little compassion goes a long way.
By the way, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
I work in a foundry where the pay is about the same $11.50-$13.00 and it gets a heck of a lot hotter than the waterhouse at Amazon. When it's extremely hot we give extra breaks, have popcycles on hand (free to employees), and have gatoraide and ice in the breakroom. We also put ice chests out on the floor where the employees can dip their cooling scarves into ice water for around their necks.
But the work continues and we spend our whole time trying to convince John Deere to get parts from us instead of China. If we were to get a big hassle, John Deere wouldn't care, they'd just get our parts from China like everything else. John Deere doesn't care and neither does any other company. You'd better just do your best, keep yourself hydrated, and quit complaining. Amazon could fill those orders from Mexico or wherever. They could leave your town and our country in a minute!!!
OSHA?????........worked briefly at a Lowes in PA. I was part of a team who for a week where ordered to work overnight while a contractor came in and re-grouted the the floor joints using dry saws to rip out the old rubber/epoxy based joint sealer. The store filled with gray smoke from the saws burning the old grout. Management would not open any security fence protected doors, they shut down the air handling system to keep it clean and unblocked from the environmental dust and smoke generated from the grouting work. After a few days folks developed bloody noses, sinus headaches, burning eyes and respiratory distress. One of the workers filed a complaint with OSHA.....managements response was to greet us at the start of the shift yelling at us....calling us ungrateful, "we are lucky to have a job", etc.
OSHA "encouraged" Lowes to provide face masks, water, open a few doors and set up some fans to circulate the air. The manager sat on the suggestions for 2 days out of retaliation. American dream.....Cold day before I buy anything from Lowes.
I was about to buy this pricy dirt bike for my 13 year old from Amazon but read about this on Yahoo featured news today. Apparently the power wigs at Amazon had that story taken down as I can't find it any longer. I couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money at Amazon knowing how they treat employees so I went directly to the store front Coolster and got the same bike with free shipping, a $200 savings off Amazon, and no tax since they shipped out of state. I even called Coolster for some recommendations and got a live person who wasn't from India. The only bad thing is the bike is made in China but I'm sure my kid will enjoy it. Thanks Amazon.
Seriously... air conditioning was invented a LONG time ago now. There's no reason they can't install it at their warehouses if it's getting up to 100+ degrees inside. I'm not suggesting they need to cool the whole place to 70*, but it is totally possible and reasonable to keep temps below 90* inside a warehouse without it costing a fortune. Just dehumidifying the air would be enough to make working conditions safe. Lots of warehouses are climate controlled these days. Amazon is just greedy and doesn't care about it's workers.
I think the ER should sue Amazon for wasting their valuable time. Time that should be used to to take care of real non-preventable emergencies. The workers should sue them too for gross negligence. Money is the only thing these companies seem to understand or care about so we have to make it too expensive for them not to do the right thing or nothing will change.
Went for a hiring blitz at Amazon and was surprised to see the number of 50+ people trying to get a job. After reading the workers problems with the heat, my health is more important than any job. They have opened three warehouses in and around Phoenix and I cannot imagine working in 115+ heat, when the inside could be 100+ or more if no air conditioning. Asked the interviewer about AC and was told 'sometimes'. Decided to keep my current job with AC and less stress. My friend worked there for a total of three days and quit. She said it was without a doubt 'the worst' job she had ever experience.
Boo Hoo Hoo.....how did america ever function prior to A/C???? Poor worker broke a sweat and has to go home...no wonder america is losing its standing as the world production leader. Every one is becoming lazy and spoiled. What ever happened to hard work???