3. What is Amazon Saying About the Ethical Situation?

 


Amazon has made it clear that they are opposed to workers having a union. The company has spent millions of dollars hiring labor consultants. The consultants a meant to help the company strategize and plan ways to convince workers to vote against the union. According to the Hill “Amazon held numerous anti-union meetings that workers were required to attend and plastered “vote no” posters at its warehouses — both common tactics. A federal judge ruled in January that Amazon violated labor laws by threatening to withhold wage increases if workers voted to form a union”. 

Later Amazon’s public relations manager Eileen Hards stated that the consultants were hired to inform employees about their rights. Hards also stated that Amazon works really hard to support employees through their current benefits like healthcare, safety programs, and more. 

Regardless of their victory in April 2022, the Amazon Labor Union in Staten Island has faced many challenges. They filed lawsuits against Amazon for interfering with their campaign and threaten to fire workers if they decided to become election observers. The Amazon Labor Union is able to share the stories of employers and how working in warehouses and driving delivery routes has impacted their lives. 


On Amazon's website, there is no information about strikes and unions. They have a section where they explain what they stand for, environmental impact, and the workplace. The only section related to the warehouses doesn’t provide actual information about the working conditions and their employees. However, they do provide customers with a link to make a reservation to take a tour of select warehouses. Another section of the website is titled "Our Workplace" which talks about the different benefits provided to employees. Some of these benefits include wages, health, and parental leave as stated on the website "Along with an average starting pay of $19 per hour—more than double the federal minimum wage—Amazon offers a range of great benefits that support employees and eligible family members, including domestic partners and their children. These comprehensive benefits begin on day one and include health care coverage, paid parental leave, ways to save for the future, paid college tuition, and other resources to improve health and well-being". 

Twitter is one of the social media platforms where they are most active. Many of the posts are related to 
positive news within the company. Amazon also shares many posts about supporting different causes like natural disasters or other trending causes. The public isn't really able to see much of their reaction. The content they post is meant to only show us the positive side. 

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Resources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/may/10/next-day-delivery-unethical-amazon-workers-pollution
  • https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/tours
  • https://amazontours.com/na/onsite?utm_source=aa&utm_medium=tours_lp&utm_campaign=in-person_na
  • https://twitter.com/amazonnews

Comments

  1. Jon BrennanApril 6, 2023 at 4:00 PM

    Do you think that the one union at the Staten Island Warehouse has enough power to create any real change?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amal AboushanabApril 6, 2023 at 8:53 PM

    I know you mentioned on twitter they try to only show the positive side, have you seen anything in your research showing the company reacting to the negatives?

    ReplyDelete
  3. SurujneeApril 7, 2023 at 6:10 PM

    I would understand why people would be adamant about being part of a union, especially with all the incentives being offered by amazon. In some circumstances people are more drawn towards what is important now than looking at the long term issues.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 9, 2023 at 12:12 PM

    It is concerning to hear that Amazon has allegedly violated labor laws and interfered with their employees' right to form a union. Do you think Amazon should be more transparent about their labor practices and working conditions?

    ReplyDelete

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