Amazon Calls 25 Cent Increases Competitiveness, With Benefits



[ad_1]

The Amazon e-commerce giant is known to keep its prices low, a tactic that dominates wage increases for its employees. The company recently distributed hourly increases ranging from 25 cents to 55 cents per hour to Washington Post, who spoke to workers across the country.

Increases, announced during warehouse meetings, were what some employees called the first in four years and the other term "damage control". Salaries are in the range of $ 11.50 to $ 15.05 per hour To post reported.

A spokesperson for Amazon said Fortune stated that the company evaluates salaries every year and tries to set a payout of 30% above the average of employees in the region. The spokesman said the increases occur every few years or more often and said he was unaware that a full-time associate would have spent four years without a hitch.

The company estimates that "with cash bonuses, shares and incentive bonuses for those directly employed, the average worker receives at least $ 15 an hour before overtime." The spokesman said that this included primarily health insurance, which covers medicine, dental care and vision, as well as the acquisition of free skills for requested jobs.

Amazon has about 200,000 workers in more than 100 fulfillment centers in America, and reports regularly on employment figures and applications for new hires. An unknown percentage of warehouse workers are hired and paid by third-party outsourcing companies, rather than being employed by Amazon.

Amazon faced both increased competition for warehouse workers in some parts of the country, forcing wages to increase even for beginners and manual workers, while generating more and more criticism. A spokesman said the company had to work to make jobs more attractive, especially for its seasonal workforce.

But these wages may not be enough for thousands of Amazon workers across the country. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a bill earlier this month that would require major employers to reimburse the federal government for the assistance received, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing social benefits and other benefits. Prior to the recent salary increases, Walmart employees were assessed in a 2014 report to receive over $ 6 billion in mainly federal assistance.

A report from Policy Matters Ohio in January rated Amazon ranked 19th among state-owned enterprises by workers who received SNAP. Intercept found that in five states that responded to its requests, including Ohio and the state of Washington, Amazon was among the top 20 for companies whose employees had received credit from the company. ;help. In Washington State, society ranks 11th among the companies of workers who depend on publicly funded health care. Walmart, McDonald's and other fast food and brick-and-mortar chains topped the list.

While Walmart and other retailers have relatively low wages and a large number of workers receiving formal and informal support for food and housing, Amazon stands out above all for its high value and the wealth created for managers. and the shareholders. The company has recently surpassed $ 1 trillion in stock market value and its CEO, Jeff Bezos, is by far the richest person in the world with $ 100 billion in personal wealth. Bezos and his wife recently funded a $ 2 billion charity that will provide grants for fully paid, fully funded early learning and homelessness programs.

[ad_2]
Source link