The Ugly Truth About Amazon and Online Retailers

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So, this is how we get all of our lovely clothing and other goods because here we have the ‘permanently temporary’ permanently temping at $8 an hour. Now, how many of you would get up at 4:00a.m. to work for $8 an hour? Exactly! You’d scoff at that. But you don’t have a problem with others having to do what you would only scoff at. So, the next time you place an online order, at the very least, you could give a thought for these poor exploited workers. But then again, according to you, that’s their problem, isn’t it? Exactly!

The Most Revolutionary Act

Permanently Temporary: The Truth About Temporary Labor

VICE News (2014)

Film Review

This is a shocking documentary about the seedy world of temporary warehouse workers who supply America’s big box retailers (eg Walmart, Kmart, Nestle), as well as online merchants such as Amazon. Because they’re technically contract labor employed by staffing agencies, workers have no employment rights. In addition to making minimum wage ($8 per hour), they can be dismissed for complaining about sexual harassment or workplace safety, talking to reporters or failing to use staffing agency vans to get to work. Filmmakers describe one incident in which a temporary worker was accidentally doused with acid and the warehouse refuse to call 911. In the end, a co-worker drove him to the hospital in his truck.

Seventy percent of US consumer goods are imported from overseas. They all end up in super warehouses, where temporary workers unpack, sort and repack…

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Published by ShelbyCourtland

I am an advocate for the poverty stricken, homeless, hungry, voiceless people who are considered to be the 'unwashed' masses but whom I consider to be the unsung heroes for surviving a never ending battle waged against them in the form of poverty wages, no benefits, living paycheck to paycheck, needing medical coverage while employed, trying to feed their families on stagnant wages that have not kept pace with inflated prices. And so the battle continues.....

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16 thoughts on “The Ugly Truth About Amazon and Online Retailers”

  2. For those who have limited opportunities in this economy, temp work may be the only source of income for immigrants, illegal or otherwise. This is predatory capitalism ppl, the only thing worse may be slavery in our prison system, where inmates “voluntarily” work for free. Sheesh! 😦

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    1. That is true 1EarthUnited, and the capitalists ‘capitalize’ on the workers’ need for this type of employment because they put it into the works the need for temp agencies. It is a win-win for corporations and need I say, a lose-lose for the exploited workers? I know first hand just what these exploited workers are going through and in the video, those workers are certainly not lying about their plight. It is worse than worse!

      Yes, and you are right again! Inmates have it just as bad or worse depending on whom you ask because they too, get no sick leave, vacation time, bonuses, commissions, etc., they just get allowed out of their cell for the benefit of capitalism. Another win/win for the ‘elites’. And we gladly line up to purchase what slaves are making, both inside and outside of prison walls. But quite actually, both are prisoners to capitalism run amok and to our need to see that the status quo continues.

      Thank you for that right on point comment!

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      1. Indeed by “virtue” of living in this country, we are all prisoners of this western model of civilization. Shelby you are probably aware that as US citizens, we have all been owned from birth by contractual agreement with the Federal Reserve to serve as collateral for the National debt!
        Your Birth Certificate Means You Have Been Bonded As A Slave!!!
        Don’t believe me, just look closely at the COPY of u’r “birth certificate”. We are fucking chattel of the state- aka fellow SLAVES. The FEDERAL CORPORATION OF AMERIKKKA owns our ass. As soon as i get my Chilean passport and citizenship, i’m renouncing my indentured status from the Matrix. Fuck this shit!

        https://1earthunite.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/you-dont-own-yourself-the-federal-reserve-does/

        Record # of Americans renounce citizenship in 2014:

        http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/12/pf/americans-expat-citizenship-passports/

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      2. I too am in the process of hurtling my ‘slaveryship’ in this shithole onto a goddamn bonfire. In a few months, I hope to finalize my soon-to-be ‘expat’ status. I have had it! It does no good to attempt to do any good in this shithole because it’s all too far gone and don’t many people know it. That is why the expat communities are thriving all over the world from people that have gotten fed up with the bullshit and got the fuck out. I will gladly relinquish my ‘slaveryship’. This is another reason why I have not posted much. It is because I will soon have no stake in this hellhole! And a good fucking riddance to it, I say!

        I am glad that you will be making haste all up out of this slave pen we’re in! More power to you and good luck!

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  3. I’ve temped and I’ve always gotten hired where I temped. Now, I work in an industry that has really busy season and really slow season. During that busy season they bring in a lot of temps and they make $8 hours and get treated like children. I hate it and stand up for them because they won’t being temps. But these big companies need sued just because they are greedy.

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    1. I’m glad you stood up for them HLJ. I have as well. I, too, worked in an industry that had extremely busy periods and slack periods and they’d bring in the temps and treat them like shit. My boss hated my guts and gave everyone else on my team, the day after Thanksgiving off and I had to stomp and make a scene to get temps brought in. They worked their fingers off and each and every one of them, I took to dinner and said, “Carte blanche!” It was the least that I could do especially since we didn’t finish work until after 10pm. The greedy corporate bastards make me wanna spit all day long! And those of us that insist on continuing to give our business to those bastards are complicit in the exploitation of these workers. What is going down is a goddamn sinful shame!

      Thank you for your comment!

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    1. It is I who thank YOU Dr. Bramhall! We all owe you a debt of gratitude for bringing so much to our attention! You will forever continue to be THE one with the most heart that I have ever encountered. Anything that I can do to spread the word from you, is the least that I can do! Stay strong Dr. Bramhall! Stay strong! We got cho back! At least I do anyway! Much love to YOU! And I mean that!

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