Rosie Q Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 This story was in our local newspaper this past weekend, and I found it very disturbing. I've spent hundreds every year on textbooks from them, but I guess I'll be trying to find things on ebay or elsewhere now. http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/09/25/1838803/ambulances-wait-outside-amazon.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Good Grief! If you are looking for K-12 textbooks ,there are many other sources, i.e Timberdoodle, Love to Learn and Rainbow Resources. If you are looking for College textbooks, try Chegg, AddAll.com and Abebooks.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferB Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I bought some books recently from All American Textbooks. But, I don't know what their employee's conditions are. I do like the convenience and prices of Amazon though. I confess I will still use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 abebooks.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I'm not sure I find it that disturbing. Working in a warehouse is hot, hard work that not everyone can do. You should be strong, in good health, and preferably YOUNG. 15 workers being treated in a day sounds like a lot, until you look at the total number of workers and realize it's only 1% of them. Out of 1,600 people, a lot of them are going to try it and not be able to hang in there. Warehouse workers and truck drivers typically have a very high turnover, so I'm not sure that proves anything. Warehouses are hot as heck in summer, there's no way around that. Their efforts sound pretty typical to me - extra fans, free water and snacks. In the story at the end of the article, the lady was 44 years old and has asthma. Warehouse work is probably not ideal for her, kwim? The two other ages that I saw mentioned were 34 and 38. I'd be curious what the median age is for those interviewed for the story - the work is just that much harder when you are older. I'm 44, and I think my days of handling physically demanding jobs are behind me. I don't think the info in the story is enough for me to say that Amazon is treating its work force poorly, or that I won't buy from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 www.homeschoolclassifieds.com www.vegsource.com/homeschool I do use ebay, and of course the forum here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smillard00 Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 I would think that someone with asthma would be a poor candidate to do physical labor in a hot, dusty warehouse. And I think the point they were trying to make about Amazon using a point system to rate productivity and using that information to decide on whether someone is hired to be a permanent employee is a good system. There is a difference between having the mindset of "I deserve these points and they are being taken away from me" vs. "I earned this many points for the amount of work I completed." Amazon does a high volume business and they need to keep employees who can accomplish a high volume of work. If you can't do things that quickly or consistently, then you aren't the right candidate for this job. As for the heat, maybe it is a different perspective because I live in the south where triple digit temperatures and high heat indices are a fact of life, especially this year, but if I applied for a job in a warehouse, I would fully expect to be working in high heat conditions during the summer. They have cooling bandanas and vests, fans, ventilation, water, snacks, medical assistance, temperature gauges. That's more than I can say for the un-air-conditioned schools I attended as a kid. Some jobs are hot and physically demanding and require workers who can handle that. If we did away with every job that fit this criteria, we wouldn't have food on our tables or gas for our cars or cotton for our clothing or a lot of things we rely on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachskittles Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 I'm not sure I find it that disturbing. Working in a warehouse is hot, hard work that not everyone can do. You should be strong, in good health, and preferably YOUNG. 15 workers being treated in a day sounds like a lot, until you look at the total number of workers and realize it's only 1% of them. Out of 1,600 people, a lot of them are going to try it and not be able to hang in there. Warehouse workers and truck drivers typically have a very high turnover, so I'm not sure that proves anything. Warehouses are hot as heck in summer, there's no way around that. Their efforts sound pretty typical to me - extra fans, free water and snacks. In the story at the end of the article, the lady was 44 years old and has asthma. Warehouse work is probably not ideal for her, kwim? The two other ages that I saw mentioned were 34 and 38. I'd be curious what the median age is for those interviewed for the story - the work is just that much harder when you are older. I'm 44, and I think my days of handling physically demanding jobs are behind me. I don't think the info in the story is enough for me to say that Amazon is treating its work force poorly, or that I won't buy from them. :iagree: My SO works in a packing house and is well aware that he works on the cold side and it is COLD. The people on the hot side know that it gets HOT. The company he works for does everything they can to make their employees comfortable within the confines of the job they do. People don't realize that working in these types of environments require you to be healthy to do the job and accept that the conditions are not the same as working a desk job (or something similar). This article really shows why there is a high turnover rate for factory work. It's not all sunshine and bunnies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 I'm not sure I find it that disturbing. Working in a warehouse is hot, hard work that not everyone can do. You should be strong, in good health, and preferably YOUNG. ... I don't think the info in the story is enough for me to say that Amazon is treating its work force poorly, or that I won't buy from them. :iagree: I live in Peoria ("Caterpillar Central") and thousands of people in our area work in these conditions for years. I've heard countless stories that end in, "Yeah, ____ was in bad shape when they took him out. Luckily I'm used to it (the heat) so I just threw up and went back to work." Everyone knows the working conditions are far less than desirable but, year after year, Cat is the place where everyone wants to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I found this very disturbing also. I first read about it here. We buy many things from amazon due to convenience, etc. Rainbow Resource and Love to Learn, etc. don't have that big variety. Some things I found particularly disturbing were found in the comments section. Few bathroom breaks, etc. Someone wrote how they were told that if they need to go, they can do it in their pants. :confused: Not amazon. Another warehouse. This is 2011, not 1911 or something. Crazy. 1 out of 20 Amazon employees say that it's a good place to work. No, they cannot eat cake or choose to work elsewhere in this economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 You know, some jobs just suck, and that's too bad. But as for the 44 year old with asthma, (1) a manager asked if she was okay; (2) she was taken by wheelchair to be examined by paramedics; where (3) managers asked questions and took notes. What else were they supposed to do? This was a brutally hot summer everywhere even, apparently, in Pennsylvania. Hard-working men and women worked in this heat all over the country, and we're supposed to stop buying from Amazon because it was hot there, too? Did you stop eating strawberries and melons and anything else that ripens over the summer? Did you not go to Disneyworld because their outdoor rides are staffed even in the heat? Did you stop shopping at your local mall because their grounds are landscaped by people who work outside, 'cause that's where their jobs are? If not, what is the difference? Nothing in this article would make me stop buying from Amazon. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 This story was in our local newspaper this past weekend, and I found it very disturbing. I've spent hundreds every year on textbooks from them, but I guess I'll be trying to find things on ebay or elsewhere now. http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/09/25/1838803/ambulances-wait-outside-amazon.html The working conditions in the warehouse seem pretty "normal" to me. Some jobs require more physical fitness than others. However, if you want to find the least expensive place online for any particular book, I recommend DealOz.com as they compare many online retailers including e-bay auctions, new and used, and you can link to any that sound appealing to further check the book out. Sometimes the best deal is at Amazon. Often it is not, esp if you don't mind used (which saves us a bundle with college texts). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 It is a warehouse job. I have a dear friend who is currently going to school to become a nurse. She had to work in a factory for a few years after her divorce. It was a CANDLE plant and so it was hot, hot, hot. They had to actually touch the hot wax in order to process the candle. This was at the Candle Lite plant in Ohio. Candle Lite is the producer of candles sold in places like Walmart. I would listen to her stories and it sounded dreadful. However, that was just what working in that factory was like. I do not consider that to be like Upton Sinclair's work in old cow blood filled floors and having to walk narrow slippery planks above vats of meat grinders. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Yes, but 1 out of 20 being happy with working there seems pretty bad. And yes, although it's a warehouse, does not justify treating employees like that. First amazon was in Scranton, PA. They got such a terrible reputation. Now they're in the Allentown area. Same thing is happening. As someone else mentioned, soon they'll be forced to move out of the U.S. and hire child labor. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 The military requires a high level of fitness. The majority of the junior soldiers are very young. They often work in high heat. But, they also have stringent guidelines about water intake and work/rest cycles. http://chemicaldragon.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Heat_Stress_Card.190164628.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Yes, but 1 out of 20 being happy with working there seems pretty bad. Well, I can think of two main employee groups who would take jobs in a warehouse right now. The first are those who became unemployed from somewhere else - another warehouse, a higher level job, the former secretary, etc. Those from a "different" job (higher level or secretary) aren't likely to be happy. Those who came from another warehouse either weren't holding their own there to keep that job or weren't happy enough to stay, so it's unlikely they will be happy. The second main group are those in our school who want to coast by doing nothing. They get to do this in school for the most part as they are coddled along. Then they hit the "real" world and need money --> need a job. Then that job expects them to "work!" (What's with that anyway???) They aren't coddled. They don't get time to stand around and shoot the breeze every few minutes. They don't get endless bathroom breaks. All the "niceties" of school are gone. I can see that group not being happy too. It shows me that one out of 20 is in the right job for them. Those who were at better jobs and who got laid off due to no fault of their own I feel sorry for. The others? Not so much. Not every job can be a cushy job. Some thrive on "non-cushy" and have found their niche. Others do them to have a job. That's the way the "real" world works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 The lady who thought she should not be fired b/c she couldn't make it in due to a snowstorm is out to lunch. If the roads aren't closed, you come to work, even if you have to get up three hours earlier and shovel your driveway. I can see this though from someone with a public school background in this area...we've already lost a full day for flooding which affected less than 1% of students and the district regularly closes in anticipation of snow, which usually doesn't amount to more than an inch if any. In the district I went to high school in, school would be open and the students who couldn't get up to the bus on time would be admitted late with no penalty. They were expected to use their tractor, boat, snowmobile or horse and get up to the main road. Most would park a truck up there and drive in if they weren't able to get up and out early enough to meet the bus. Sounds like Amazon has a can do attitude compared to many of the prospective employees and is fishing for similar. It sounds like you and I went to the same school district (NOT in PA)! Our school would close for freezing rain/ice, but that's it. We knew to be up on time to shovel. There was only one time I recall school being closed for two days in a row and that was because the state mandated it due to a blizzard. Our superintendent wasn't happy... We kids had fun! ;) Here in PA they seem to close or delay just on the threat of something coming. My mom laughs at us "wimps." It does seem to teach the kids it's ok to avoid "work" due to the most minor weather. These same kids have no issues driving to the ski slopes or friends houses on those days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Agree with smillard00. Sounds like many have never had a private industry factory job before. Will you stop buying produce and engaging a plumber also? Hard on the knees you know. How about steel and glass and duct tape? The furnaces used in the production of those products get hotter than 105 F,as does the area the workers are in. Private industry doesn't get to do whatever it wants. There are federal and state safety guidelines to meet. some of those include breaks and the amount of water the employees should be drinking. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I don't use Amazon either. I had my price list all made up, buying from Amazon (last winter), and then DH and I decided we didn't want to support them. Yes, we ended up paying a little more. We don't mind. I bought mostly from Rainbow Resource. I don't know what kind of materials you usually buy, but I did get some from christianbook.com, too. (Saxon math, spelling workout) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 If they think the piddly temps they wrote about are hot, move to Texas and work in a warehouse. I have no issues with Amazon at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 nevermind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 In college, my daughter's favorite place was fetchbooks.com It gets books from many sources so it's not just one seller. real easy to do comparision shopping. do get an ISBN for doing book searches as each edition has a different ISBN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 ?? Why are you quoting me ?? I'm not stating that private industry can do what it wants. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I, like several other posters, have noted that other industries have hot conditions and that seems to be acceptable to the OP. Why target Amazon? Does the OP work for a competitor? They have hot conditions, but that doesn't make them *unsafe* conditions. These are two different things. The description of the warehouse is *unsafe*, the conditions were reported to OSHA by two different people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 They have hot conditions, but that doesn't make them *unsafe* conditions. These are two different things. The description of the warehouse is *unsafe*, the conditions were reported to OSHA by two different people. If they were reported to OSHA then OSHA will see if they need to be "fixed" or not. "Reported" doesn't make them factual (but they may be). Time will tell I guess. Many things get reported to OSHA that end up not being issues. Subjective things can get blown out of proportion or be true. We can't judge based on one article or "some" people's statements. I could bring oodles of people to complain about various things and they would all sound convincing if one didn't know "the truth." ;) I'm sure if OSHA ends up siding with Amazon in a major way it will make the news. Then I will believe it as it will have more substance to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 If they were reported to OSHA then OSHA will see if they need to be "fixed" or not. "Reported" doesn't make them factual (but they may be). Time will tell I guess. Many things get reported to OSHA that end up not being issues. Subjective things can get blown out of proportion or be true. We can't judge based on one article or "some" people's statements. I could bring oodles of people to complain about various things and they would all sound convincing if one didn't know "the truth." ;) I'm sure if OSHA ends up siding with Amazon in a major way it will make the news. Then I will believe it as it will have more substance to it. If you had actually read the article, then you would realize that 1. the warehouse made a number of changes after OSHA contacted them about problems, 2. OSHA *did* inspect and make recommendations, 3. more changes have been made since the OSHA inspection and 5. seemingly as a result of OSHA recommendations cooling units are planned for the warehouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 If you had actually read the article, then you would realize that 1. the warehouse made a number of changes after OSHA contacted them about problems, 2. OSHA *did* inspect and make recommendations, 3. more changes have been made since the OSHA inspection and 5. seemingly as a result of OSHA recommendations cooling units are planned for the warehouse. I did read the article, but I was at school at the time, so evidently didn't devote enough time to putting it into memory as I tend to skim when rushed for time. :tongue_smilie: If OSHA is assisting with fixing the problems, I kind of fail to see the point of the article. Is it to turn people off from Amazon after the fact? Amazon is responding and fixing things, so now we shouldn't buy from them? Quite honestly, I don't buy much from Amazon and when I do I tend to get my things for free (to me) due to using points from a credit card that I rack up over the year. I don't plan to change. If there were true workplace issues, I'm glad to see them being changed. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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