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Amazon Has Turned a Middle-Class Warehouse Career into a McJob
Article

Amazon Has Turned a Middle-Class Warehouse Career into a McJob

Bloomberg, 2020


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Well Structured
  • Background
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Amazon’s impact on retail is undeniable, but as Matt Day and Spencer Soper report for Bloomberg, its fast growth and increasing power now affect other industries. The e-commerce titan is becoming a force in logistics – moving goods from warehouses to buyers. The opening of many Amazon warehouses across the United States coincided with downward pressure on local logistics workers’ salaries. These workers, who have long enjoyed union protection and good pay, worry that the rapid growth of Amazon’s fulfillment operations threatens salaries industry-wide. A twist may be in the offing: In 2021, Amazon workers in an Alabama facility are likely to vote on a proposal to unionize.

Take-Aways

  • Union workers in the logistics industry view Amazon as a threat to their livelihood.
  • Amazon’s expansion in logistics coincides with falling pay in the industry.
  • In its defense, Amazon points to its relatively high starting wage.

About the Authors

Matt Day reports for Bloomberg Technology, with a focus on Amazon. Spencer Soper covers e-commerce for Bloomberg.