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The enthusiasm sparked by Amazon's decision to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour by the company has been tempered by fears that the company is failing to change some of its older employees in the warehouse.
As part of Amazon's new compensation structure, the Company has terminated its share-based bonus and incentive programs for warehouse and customer service employees. These payments rewarded workers who remained in the company and worked regularly.
"It's a joke," said Vicki Shannon Allen, a warehouse employee at Amazon, who made the headlines this summer after making videos documenting her experience as a homeless female employee. 39; Amazon. "We do not get more bonuses so we do not miss any work."
Shannon also said worry about what would happen to the portion of her income that would have been paid in the form of stock options.
Amazon got wide approval Tuesday when the company announced it would set a minimum hourly wage of $ 15 for its workers. Activists and politicians lobbied the company to claim that employees at Amazon warehouses were underpaid and overworked.
Amazon warehouse workers who spoke to NBC News on Tuesday said they supported the move, but noted that stock incentives had provided a significant increase in pay. One of them said some workers were frustrated by the fact that newly hired employees would be paid a considerable salary, which would have taken them years.
An Amazon spokesperson said the end of the stock and bonus acquisition plans makes the compensation "more immediate and predictable".
The spokesman also said that the increase in hourly wages "more than compensate" incentive programs.
"We can confirm that this announcement will be widespread for all employees of Operations and Customer Service, following this announcement," said the spokesman.
Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a non-profit group that criticized Amazon's practices, explained that it was not easy to determine how the change in Amazing would affect veteran workers, but said that they could lose future earnings if the end of the stock program is combined with slower increases.
"Obviously, many people have received a pay raise, which is clearly important," she said.
But she added: "This is not going to be higher for at least the next two years … The pay structure is flat."
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Was one of the most outspoken politicians who called on Amazon to raise its salaries. He paid tribute to the company and its CEO, Jeff Bezos, on Tuesday, saying the company also said it would also help ensure that the national minimum wage is $ 15 per hour. The current national minimum wage is $ 7.25 / hour.
Sanders said in a statement sent via email in response to questions about bonus shares and programs that he hoped the change in Amazon would not end up hurting veteran workers.
"We understand that the vast majority of Amazon workers will experience wage increases, including very large increases, with the minimum wage reaching $ 15 an hour," Sanders said. "I hope that, thanks to the new policy of Amazon, no worker, especially long-time employees, will see a reduction in total compensation. Amazon can afford to integrate all workers and should do it. "
Jason Abbruzzese contributed to the report.
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