Unions vs. Amazon: A David and Goliath story
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- Опубліковано 23 кві 2022
- Amazon, America's second-largest employer, fought hard against unionization efforts at its Staten Island, N.Y., warehouse. But "team members" there voted to unionize - an example of younger employees' interest in improved working conditions, and the increasing fortunes of labor collectives, despite corporations' anti-union tactics. Correspondent David Pogue reports.
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Being a former employee of Amazon and non union type of person but after my short time working at the Amazon warehouse where I fainted due to heat, I thought that the only way the environment would improve Is to unionize because management doesn’t listen to associates in the warehouse.
I worked in a warehouse that had fans. The vent circulation was not good. I am sorry you passed out. That management didn't listen to employees.
@@ediebaxter6194 we had fans too. Almost nightly, EMS was there because of heat even on my last night. It was difficult to see all the time.
@@jennifertrimper8275 - That is aweful. We had dust in our fans. They would clean them. I am trying to remember if they even cleaned our fans in our dept. I know it was about numbers were I worked.
@@ediebaxter6194 me too. Since I fainted during training, I missed a lot at information. They paid for my day off the second night then put me back where I fainted on the third night.
@@jennifertrimper8275- That is aweful that they put you back in the same place the third night. That is an accident waiting to happen. It is all about production in the workplace.
Thank you David Pogue and CBS Sunday Morning for covering this fairly, unlike other mainstream media sources. Very inspiring piece
People who frown down on unions remember this;
IF businesses/employers paid people fairly & treated
them with dignity & respect in the first place, unions wouldn’t have materialized!
working conditions / real pay / break time
When the company gives deals to Stewards and union president and the employees get the shaft.
Unions. Its not just the dollar amount of wages . Its the ability to have and receive. The 5 day work week. Overtime pay, proper breaks, etc. ready history, labor unions. We need them now more then ever, as the rich get richer and poor get poorer. Oh and lets not forget the loss of the middle class.
A lot of people don't realize the middle class has been shrinking for years. When I was growing up and labor unions were strong, the middle class was thriving and expanding.
@@marywalters1181 You can thank Regan, and the republicans back in the 80's for the decline of unions.
Corporate greed will be the death of our country! This country is so ignorant on where the corporate idea came from and what fuels it!
4:37 Gotta love the ending.
The PBS Frontline episode re: Amazon (about two years old) is on UA-cam and worth watching
Mr. Smalls certainly ARTICULATEd the union message well enough to his fellow employees. Isn't that right, scamazon?
They don't tell you the executive that called Chris "not smart" was Obama former press secretary, Jay Carney.
@@marywalters1181 And?
mr Smalls...
@@marywalters1181 You're wrong .
Unions have basically raised my mother's 3 kids!!! Unions basically is taking care of my disabled nephew. And I know a. Loyt of people that unions have helped. So yes. I'm for unions
BUZZ... on hoffaLie
“…and the beat goes on…”
I worked as a housekeeper at a resort, broke my back all I got was workers comp now Social security 😥
If I was Union I'd have a leg to stand on now!
Go Union!
I've already hired someone to silence him, he'll pay for what he has done to our beloved Amazon
Boycott Amazon and Starbucks until they're unionized!
For f*cks sake, Bezos, pay your employees a livable wage!!
This guy has money to compete with NASA
I work at Amazon and they hire me on the spot for $21 a hour and all I do is walk pallets to the truck door and most day they have u walking around looking for scanners when we have down time. It’s seriously the easiest job in the world.
@@kpath74 yeah that’s cool, but Unions are the answer for people to organize and collectively bargain
$15 an hour to start that's barely enough to barely above minimum wage
IKR, but the Amazon exect’s were patting themselves on the back for that like “we’re taking care of the little man!”
That’s Target’s starting pay.
You're moving boxes around what do you expect to make?
How about get an education? That’s what I did to get a better salary. I slept only 4 hours a night to work and study. Stop making excuses and make it happen yourself.
@@DarkPassenger Enough to live.
It's telling that I made the same wages in the 1980's as a union employee as non-union employees make now. This coupled with companies closing U.S. factories in favor of Chinese imports devastated the American middle class. Now there are low paying Walmart and Amazon and higher paying Techy jobs. The politicians who allowed this to happen are among those prospering though.
I have been at Amazon almost two years, which is shocking to me lol. But I always tell people, when they ask about the pay, that the pay is good if you don't have kids, live with someone, and is young with hardly any responsibility. But other than that, Amazon pays little and expect you to work non stop. I'm a packer and I remember that I had stop packing for like a second to stretch my arms because I was hurting. A manager told me that I couldn't stop and to keep working. I snapped on him, like dude I have the right to stretch my body and get myself together. I have been packing for three hours straight. Amazon is for the birds.
did you see the PBS Frontline episode about Amazon? it is on UA-cam. no links are allowed here but it is easy to find. curious what you think about it
@@eatpigsnot I just watched it. Everything the former workers are saying is true. With me as a packer, the pack rate are constantly going up and the company gives you 35 sec from building your box to gathering up the customers items and package it and put it on the belt. Now 35sec it's not bad if u have one or two items, but sometimes you have customers with 30 items and you have 35sec to build your box, gather all these items, scan all these items, and package it up. And sometimes all your items are not there, so now you have to find the items that are missing. My aunt use to work there and she quit because it was so hot and she fainted. They had to call the ambulance for her. I'm suffering from foot pain and back pain but I have to work and that didn't start until I started at Amazon.
@shaSmallsBirds'Brains
@@shacaseyrivers3219 35 seconds to pick 30 items that are aisles apart? what in the actual ...?
@@eatpigsnot yep, now when COVID was bad each packer had they own bin to package their stuff. But after COVID kind of slowed up, they have it now if ok it's 6 person at their own station. So say if I'm on station 1 and I'm a faster packer than the person on station 6. Each packer station has different color so you know what bin to get your items out of. So say my color is blue but it light up at station 6, I have to build my box and then go all the way to station 6 from my station which is 1 and get their items and pack within 35sec. And you have alot of slow packers. So I'm getting his bin empty while mine filling back up and when my bin get a certain amount than I have to pack down my bin again. It's tiring and you can easily get hurt, especially when customers orders cases of drinks and cat litter and etc. Those things are heavy especially if I have to walk to other people station to get the items.
My son worked at Amazon.
For a week.
What did he learn about himself?
& he was a crappy employee
@@jeffbezos4474
He was disrespected and too smart to remain.
He's now making $300 a day working for himself.
@@makeracistsafraidagain BWHAHAHAHA $300 a day? that's cute, maybe I'll invite him to the billionaire's ball. I'm sure he'll stand out
@@bloatedsodium7301 probably that he hates being exploited by billionaires
CBS Sunday Morning needs to talk about Ecosia they are a search engine that plants tress!!!
good for them . WTG
60 years of crying about labor costs…… now there are no workers to work….. and 3 real estate agents for every house… no wonder the mattress stores give us 4 years to pay off a bed
Got distracted by the attractive lady in the beginning of the video. Then I laughed at the end of the video😆. In the middle of the video I had to congratulate #ChrisSmalls for tackling an intimidating situation (where many people/sheeple🐑 are afraid to lose their jobs if they participate) while teaching that executive a lesson👏🏽 - you shouldn't NEGATIVELY judge a person or have false motives attached with your assessment of someone or because they wear something that you figuratively and literally don't agree with.
Get to know a person. Understand their culture. Don't limit your perception of people to tradition or tired standards. That could make you come off as condescending. People naturally can't gravitate around that, especially when you're already in the position of authority. It also comes off as arrogant. There are already too many of those in the workplace.
This resonates with the mission and a success of the Union. #ChrisSmalls was #Notorious & a #BIG😎 deal in this situation.
This was entertaining. I wonder who that executive was.
Bottom line: if you take care of your people, the people will take care of you. Otherwise, you are going to be constantly fighting the wrong thing until exhaustion. Stay smart and articulate.😉
Unions do have your back by the time I was ready to to leave the company I was earning nearly double my starting salary which is almost $30
How much are dues?
uhm "unionsO'ukraine" don't do nothing but take a big chunk $100 dollars of your paycheck and send it to horseheadAFL-CIOhoffaukraine to defend mobcops retired that get busted caught with middleschoolunderage and pay mobcopsunion atty even after retired Fact
@Mari , too much $100 per paycheck payable to jimmyukrainehorseheadHoffa but you get a five&dime bagO'greenGoodies
HOUSEKEEPERS UNION HIGHLY NEEDED
Unions originally started because companies treated their employees very, very poorly.
For a while unions lost members because working conditions weren’t too bad.
But now, because of greed and indifference, companies forgot why they need to respect their workers.
Today, unions are coming back for the very same reasons they were originally formed.
“He who does not know history is doomed to repeat it.”
We certainly know the companies are trying their dirty tactics again.
You would think with their big brain and college degrees, the PTB would understand that advertising, interviewing, training, hiring consultants, plotting and union busting all costs time, money and productivity. If they actually tried to care for their workers , it wouldn’t costs that much more and they would be the hero, not the villain.
Willful ignorance and greed, if you ask me.
I think the cycle is working conditions are awful, unions make them better. But then the union becomes too big and corrupt, and the working conditions are way too generous. Then the company loses too much money from lazy workers and goes broke - union seizes to exist mostly. New work comes without unionized workers, condtions are awful. Then the cycle repeats itself when new unions come.
Basically, bad condtions lead to good unions. Good unions make good conditions. Good conditions make Lazy workers and corrupt union. They make bad conditions (businesses close, new businesses have no unions).
@@aorusaki yes, I agree, though I’m not as sure of the lazy workers.
But to be honest, I work in a high school, I have to admit that seeing the number of lazy and dishonest students must mean a similar percent are in the workforce.
Dishonest and lazy doesn’t just disappear in adults.
👏👏👏👏👏👏⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHEERS TO YOU ALL FOR STANDING UP TO OTHERS WHO WORK TO CONTROL YOU‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️👏👏👏👏👏👏
WORKERS ARE #1
WITHOUT YOU.....THERE WOULD NOT BE PROFIT OF ANY KIND ‼️‼️‼️👏👏👏👏
Well done David Pogue.
Yes!!!! Hard working ppl
Now Go Watch The Other Film
About Distributions Hubs Opening In The Rust Belt
Just a quick comment about this from the UK - I'm not trying to interfere or lecture to the US - it's just that we have lots of experience here since Trades Unions were de-criminalised in 1871! Controversy still surrounds Unions, and debate in workplaces, Parliament and pubs is still lively. But as an Economic Historian I believe that Unions do more good than harm, for their members, country and indeed employers. It's perhaps counter-intuitive, but strong and well run Unions are a real benefit to business. In the absence of Unions, employees will take industrial action in informal and chaotic ways - sickness absences, sabotage, high jobs turnover and general disaffection. Unions can work WITH employers to improve both workers' pay and conditions AND overall profitability. Workers do, after all, understand that the employer must succeed if they are going to succeed. Give it a try.
This is the result of CEO's and upper management receiving outrageous salaries and bonuses. Sometimes the companies have lost revenue and they still received their payout.
Don't let any company fool you about their profits. More than ever they are buying back stocks instead of sharing the wealth with employees. Dumb dumb dumb.
Just because someone has a college or business degree doesn't mean they have common sense.
Chris Smalls needs his own ‘Norma Rae’ type movie! 🎥🥰😝Michael B Jordan can play him!🙏❤️👍
or that guy tryin' to shake hands with "joker" in bar scene with margotRobbie
...I was thinking Elijah Wood 🤷🏾♂️
NEVER buy anything from WalMart or Amazon.
Vote with your dollars 💵
Yeah I always buy from Costco. They treated their people well.
These unions are needed now more than ever !!!!!!
I dont normally support Unions but for these left wing companies I completely agree to Unionization.
You got to oil up the humans too. Not just the robots
It’s all about money. The union helps the employees make more money and benefits and that’s why the big companies do not want them.
The owners of these business's do not respect the rights of workers. They would create 7 day work weeks if they could. They would give no benefits and low low wages. The big companies say things like family and team but they want to treat you like dirt as a worker lol.
Successful people don't become that way overnight. What most people see at a glance wealth, a great career and purpose is the result of hard work and hustle over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life
I truly agree with you on that
i must say crypto is the future and with the way BTC is climbing so high it's really advisable for people to invest now
@@lilianraulmaria4 you're right. Been thinking of going into gold and crypto currency
Crypto’s a scam, don’t buy it.
@@lilianraulmaria4
STILL too speculative
Unionize Tesla!!! Next!!
yep 80 hours works weeks too much.
As a 32 year union member, I think there should be SOMETHING, SOME way to make sure the rights of workers are upheld. But unions GO OVERBOARD! Some places union members can do no wrong. They get EXORBITANT WAGES. Workers are video taped SLEEPING ON THE JOB and the unions fight for their jobs. A lot of CRIME connected with some unions. Too bad everyone, employers AND employees can't be honest, fair, truthful, ethical...
How’s that boot taste?
4:57 Mo Rocca talks with Tina Brown on her new memoir about Britain Royals when Sunday Morning continues
student dbet dont tlka abotu that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Workers can unionize but the companies will simply refuse to acknowledge or negotiate. Workers must negotiate with the consumers and stockholders to affect change while controlling the middle mangers. Somewhere out there is a leader who can organize a national labor party by using all of the same strategies that are used by corporations. One challenge is convincing the public that unions are not the same as communism. Workers should be breaking corporations that cannot provide a decent standard of living. Bankruptcy is there for corporations. You wouldn't go to court without a lawyer so why do you think it's ok to work without a contract and representation? Why do we shop at companies who treat employees badly, ie Kroger, CVS?
Buy ZIM on Monday 25 April. SEMPER FI!
Unions can actually fight against rules designed to protect workers from COVID. My point is not all unions offer protections to employees and instead they just take a portion of your wages.
Unions protect workers by definition but keep licking boot
It’s 2022, and people are trying to unionize? Weight is higher than ever, and millions are unemployed. This will never work. Terrible story.
Nothing you said is true.
You must love the way boot taste
Unions can be good and Unions can be bad. Union all my adult life. Dad was a Union leader! Grew up union. But Unions will do what is necessary for the Union. I paid dues and when I really needed them they wanted me to stop take a small bit of money and not cost them any more money to represent me. So I told them to put it in writing . They did not and them helped me and I am grateful! But I had to put the union on notice! Or else!
Not what they were promised? A lot of Americans walking around thinking the world owes them something because they are here.
Unions are a good way to get Amazon to speed up the development on robots to do all these jobs.
Incluse your job.
Why don't more people understand this? Sheep for the slaughter.
@@ChiselMouse start a buisiness then and you will find out about all the laws you have to understand and follow.
If they could, for sure they had already done that. The same for autonomous car of Uber. That's a technological limit. Tesla wanted all its work done by robots, and they regreted a lot that decision. Let's try to improve our wages while our work is still important.
Companies are already going to build as many robots as possible to replace human workers. Joining a union is not going to make a difference.
How do you tell a chemist apart from an Amazon worker? Ask them to pronounce “unionized”.
Be careful what you wish for Amazon employees! Unions benefit only one thing - themselves. Unions create headaches for companies and companies' customers/suppliers; they don't encourage their members to contribute more than they contract for; and they add a level of bureaucracy to what could be "well oiled machines". Unions were critical when they started in the 18th century, but now they just slow down our economy. If you don't believe that then answer these two questions: 1) Why can union employees strike and hold companies hostage when the Federal Government can't? and 2) Why do unions pride themselves in how much they financially hurt companies when their members strike (this hurts employees, investors, customers and suppliers)?
Unions can be good or can be bad. The millions of Amazon workers need some sort of representation but you're right that if they go too far or too radical we get lazy workers and corrupt unions.
There needs to be a balance between keeping workers from abuse and not letting them be lazy
@@aorusaki - All true Hitsuga, but what you said doesn't fix the problem. Our Federal government allows unions to strike, which is legalized extortion (something that shouldn't be allowed), but they don't allow their union employees to strike (this should tell you something). I worked for a company where they had union and non-union workers and the union workers, doing the same job as the non-union workers, made $2.00 more an hour. This hurts employee morale and also drives product/service cost through the roof. Bottom Line - I doubt any current and prospective business owner would want to deal with a union and its members - nothing but a headache.
Why should Amazon workers get paid 30 an hour when I went to college to make that happen?
Because they deserve it. You deserve higher pay too. You should unionize at your place of work.
@@krasmasov6852 how do I do that?
@@flashg5568 Excellent question. Contact the Industrial Workers of the World. They'll help every step of the way.
All workers deserve better. Being against your fellow worker is exactly what your employer wants to continue exploiting you and your hard-earned degree for pennies while their profits continue to go up. As the other commenter said, unionize. Solidarity among workers is the only way toward a better life
Unions are overrated.
Then you know nothing of history. Pity.
@@sunshine3914 My 14 years of being in a union means nothing? Lol ok...
You are a fool!
@Mountain Bike Addict read the history of unions. The 40 hour work week, the standardization of the weekend off, minimum wage, banning of child labor all because of unions. Work was much worse before unions because workers had no rights.
@@lewstone5430 exactly, and now with the decline of unions, we’re seeing a decline in wages and working conditions as the rich get richer. Not a coincidence
Don’t like your job? Get another one. Plenty of people that would love your job. Lazy free of all mentality
You’re either a big wig or you lack critical thinking skills.
For many, that’s all the jobs that are available. It takes money to pick up and leave... a lot more money than the second richest guy pays.
JG is sad. That’s too bad.
This may seem like an easy thing to do, but not everyone has the luxury of it. In the towns that have these warehouses, the warehouse is the biggest employer. They are so big they often set the base salary of all other business in the area. Also with healthcare being tied to your job, there is massive risks for some if they want to find another job. That risk being new employer having different healthcare providers and having to find a new doctor that is “in network”. Also what to do about healthcare in between jobs.
The whole purpose of unions is to make conditions at work better. Things like longer breaks, less robotic like quotas, more flexibility in shift schedules, etc. all these conditions that make work better can actually increase productivity and worker retention. However places like warehouses live on high turn over so they never have to increase pay.
You can go to other place then. And you at a white job level.
I've witnessed alot of lazy upper management people first hand! Only on the payroll because they're frat boys!