They're underpaid enough as it is? Seriously, that's usually what it comes down to: Nobody wants to give up a dime for union dues when they're already barely making ends meet.
> ZipRecruiter shows the average in all states as under $15 [0] so an Amazon worker will likely make more than a worker in other warehouses.
Amazon workers make more than other non-unionized warehouses in the area, but they still make less than unionized warehouses. For example Piggly Wiggly warehouses make $20/hr on top of having vacation days and medical benefits.
making $15/hour doesn't mean you suddenly have lots of money to make it rain. $15/hour means that a lot of people are just now at the point of barely making it vs the completely snowed under they were in at minimum wage
I think it depends on your circumstances but I don’t think $15/hour is a ton of money.
Warehouses are frequently in rural settings and $15 isn’t so bad. I have friends who are doing ok on $12/hour but they only have $300 rent and really low expenses. Rural America doesn’t have many upsides, but being cheap is one.
And my point wasn’t that Amazon was wonderful, just that it pays more than the alternative since the average pay is much lower ($11 vs $15 I think) at other companies.
But there's a massive difference in working conditions. There is no warehouse floor worker that will be making $15 an hour indefinitely. Eventually, their bodies will succumb to injuries while trying to keep up with the brutal pace of work mandated by Amazon.
So then what's worse: $11 an hour at a job you can work indefinitely, or $15 an hour at a job where your body will eventually fail and you may be left with a permanent injury which Amazon will not help you with?
> So then what's worse: $11 an hour at a job you can work indefinitely, or $15
I think people can make that decision when they choose to work for orgs.
I’d like to see info on how long warehouse workers last in the job.
But Amazon does provide disability insurance [0] beyond social security, so they do help with permanent injury for all their workers. If it’s on the job there’s also worker’s comp.
