New Jersey Congresswoman Calls Out 'Atrocious Greed' of Jeff Bezos as Amazon Profits During Coronavirus
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman strongly criticized Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos, sharing a report about how the multinational company plans to end hazard pay for employees after the end of May amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In March, the company announced it would be increasing hourly pay and overtime wages temporarily during the pandemic, as its warehouse employees were deemed essential. However, the company plans to end that extra pay after May 30.
"Jeff Bezos is expected to become the 1st trillionaire as he consolidates the retail market during coronavirus," Watson Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat, tweeted on Wednesday evening. She shared a link to an article reporting on Amazon's plans to cut the hazard pay.
"Now Amazon is telling its workers (who have faced significant risk) that it'll be ending their hazard pay at the end of MAY!" the congresswoman added. "Atrocious greed."
Jeff Bezos is expected to become the 1st trillionaire as he consolidates the retail market during coronavirus.
Now Amazon is telling its workers (who have faced significant risk) that it'll be ending their hazard pay at the end of MAY!
Atrocious greed.https://t.co/JOcsZBwSGo
— Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) May 13, 2020
Rachael Lighty, an Amazon spokesperson, reiterated to Newsweek in an email that the company had extended the increased hourly pay through May 30.
"We are also extending double overtime pay in the U.S. and Canada. These extensions increase our total investment in pay during COVID-19 to nearly $800 million for our hourly employees and partners," Lighty said.
"In addition, we are providing flexibility with leave of absence options, including expanding the policy to cover COVID-19 circumstances, such as high-risk individuals or school closures. We continue to see heavy demand during this difficult time and the team is doing incredible work for our customers and the community," she added.
A company spokesperson previously told CNBC about the end of the hazard pay.
"We are grateful to associates supporting customers during a time of increased demand, and are returning to our regular pay and overtime wages at the end of the month," they said.
Amazon originally announced the temporary pay increase on March 16 and later extended it until May 16. It was then extended again through the end of the month. The news that the hazard pay would end was first reported by Vox's Recode.
"We're going to do one more extension on it and push it out until the end of the month," Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, told the news site.
"We continue to see incredible demand from customers right now and ... our team's response in coming back to work has been really great as well," Clark added. "We think it's the right thing for employees and the right thing for customers to keep it on for a couple of weeks."
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos speaks at the the 70th International Astronautical Congress at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. on October 22, 2019MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty
Bezos and Amazon have faced criticism for years. While Bezos has become the richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $143 billion according to Bloomberg, many have criticized the relatively low wages and working conditions faced by Amazon warehouse employees. During the novel coronavirus pandemic, some of these workers have organized strikes due to concerns about their own health and safety.
A new analysis by Comparisun, a company that allows firms to compare different business products, shows that Bezos is on track to become the world's first trillionaire. According to analysis, the Amazon CEO's net worth grew by about 34 percent over the past five years. Already Bezos has seen his fortune surge by more than $28 billion since last year.
This article has been updated with a statement from an Amazon spokesperson.
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This reminds of a dystopian future when everyone works for "The Company" , and "likes" it.
Bezos looks like a Bond villain.
NYC could have had some of those real jobs, but government titties are more fun.
AOC cost New York some 25,000 jobs with her socialist progressive virtue signaling.
On this we are in full agreement. The tax credit that was promised was NOT a payment of money, it was a forgiving of tax, which would have cost the NYC treasury and the people of NYC NOTHING!!!!!! It was ALL BENEFIT, and NO DETRIMENT. Those who followed the fool AOC were fools themselves.
Amazon kept a lot of people employed by keeping the rest of us off the streets and stocked with necessities.
It is capitalism at it's finest.
Someone will issue him a Presidential Medal of freedom someday
I, for one, have never understood the concept, especially in this case, of hazard pay for a job someone does every day anyway. Does the virus not target people with more money? Hell no. So how, seriously here looking for some insight, does throwing more money at the employees reduce the risk of them getting it or ease its severity if they do? Mentally, I can see where it may minimally decrease anxiety but other that that?
Bezos did the right thing by his employees. Now that it is ending the left is more than willing to throw him under the bus.
If they don't like it they can form their own supply chain company and compete directly with Amazon. They can run their company whatever way they want to then; more than likely it will be into the ground with the tax payers picking up the tab.
Because of how Amazon works, the employees were exposed to anything on the supplies/materials/STUFF that came into the warehouses. Granted, anybody that's working outside the home during this pandemic is probably more vulnerable than those that are staying at home. Bezos is just being a good employer by giving his workers a little more money during this period. I guess it's a thank-you for coming in every day and doing your job.
Good points but it still isn't a mitigation tool. Thanks for the good response though. Seriously.
I agree it's not a mitigation tool. This virus doesn't respect anybody.
You're welcome
Haha … Awww Jim I gather your pay did not go up in this case?
Essential employees have added risk when working the frontlines, it is an incentive or 'combat' pay… .. these individuals leaving their homes and families to stock shelves or fix 'your' car for 12 bucks an hour are playing Russian roulette with their lives and that of their families ..There is no way of knowing how the virus will affect each individual. I was upset with Albertson's for only giving their employees a 2 buck an hour bump in pay...
My bitch is in the 600 dollar weekly boost for everyone that qualifies for unemployment, does it bother you? … my oldest is making close to double his wages off unemployment .. there is ZERO incentive to return to work til it runs out! Last I heard the 600 dollar boost may be extended beyond the 4 months!
Hope you are doing well .. stay healthy : )
Peace!
And money fixes that how if they get infected? I don't doubt the risks being taken but what's to say they don't stop on the way home to get gas or groceries and get infected? That said, it is an honorable thing to do just trying to figure out how money fixes it. Sounds like Democrat policy to me. Just throw money at it and, the five most dangerous words in the English language, "Maybe it will go away"
Hope you are too and no, my pay hasn't increased. I work in and office where 75% of the staff are working from home due to this.. I am not. Oour shop staff are all working except those older and vulnerable with preexisting conditions. We have "zoned" the shop and routed those zones in separate doors. By zoning, should someone come down with it, we can isolate and shut down the affected zone while testing could go on with those in the "zone".
And I understand completely your disgust with the extra bucks. I know some, in the neighborhood, that feel the same as your son.
Why do soldiers get combat pay .. what is that going to fix if they end up dead? See how ridiculous that sounds? I know what you are saying Jim .. I disagree with the reasoning, it is kind of bar logic.. haha .. why shouldn't the person stocking the toilet paper that you wipe your ass with during this time get 2 bucks extra an hour .. we the tax payers are not paying for that, like we are a 600 dollar boost (2400 dollars a month) for 30 million people receiving unemployment
Excellent way to organize the work place
I am doing quite well .. my yard, flower beds and garden are looking good - started the garden in the house in late March … I have a pig butchered every year .. have 1/2 a buffalo in the garage freezer … haha I am an introvert (just not shy) I have been training for this pandemic for years : )
glad you are staying healthy my friend …!
Are you stating that this POTUS is a Democrat?
He has clearly thrown several trillion dollars at "stay in place' and still doesn't have a reliable test, medication or vaccine.
How many times do you think he has said "it will go away" ?
Too many for me to sit and count...
Jest sayin...
You should try lobbying for US gov types in Kuwait. Because it is so serene, it pays an extra 10% for foreign pay.
Why does this story make me think of Leonardo DiCaprio at the prow of the Titanic shouting "I'm the king of the world"? I guess if Bezos wants to buy his own Island, he could buy Greenland.
OMG!
You mean someone is still actually making money?
Better tighten up the Pandemic screws a little tighter comrades!
I gotta say though, Bezos is looking more and more like Lex Luther each year ..... maybe John is onto something here ..... 😬
People are advised to shop on line rather than in store. Amazon has the products so why shouldn't Bezos make money. Don't want to add your money his coffers then go shop and get exposed.