Slog

News & Arts

The Stranger Suggests

Critics' Best Bets
Music Arts & Food

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

  |  

Monday, November 14, 2011

Horrors / Retail In Which Goldy Apologizes to Jeff Bezos for Calling Amazon a "Sweat" Shop

Posted by on Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 5:12 PM

You know all that talk about Amazon smothering their employees to the point of heat exhaustion in stifling, un-air conditioned, 100-degree-plus warehouses? Well, never mind. It turns out Jeff Bezos tries to balance things out by allegedly freezing his employees during the winter season.

Multiple warehouse workers were treated at hospitals for exposure after being outside, without coats, in temperatures below freezing for prolonged periods, including one night for about two hours, according to OSHA records.

Workers interviewed said Amazon forced them to remain huddled in the parking lot on frigid nights while many workers were wearing only shorts and T-shirts. After attendance was taken to make sure all employees evacuated, warehouse workers said they were not allowed to go to their cars to keep warm. Instead, they were instructed by warehouse managers to use one another's body heat and told that anyone caught going to their cars would be disciplined and could be terminated, workers said.

Apparently, Amazon was concerned about theft. Warehouse workers normally have to pass through metal detectors on their way out, and the false fire alarms were suspected to be a ruse to sneak merchandise out of the warehouse.

Fair enough. But that doesn't exactly give Amazon the moral or legal right to force their employees to stand outside for hours in sub-freezing temperatures, in nothing but shorts and T-shirts. On one night, according to OSHA records, six employees were treated for exposure at a local hospital. But, you know, at least nobody stole anything, so I guess the end justifies the means.

So sorry, Jeff, for accusing you of running a sweatshop. You're clearly not. At least during the winter months.

 

Comments (32) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
gloomy gus 1
For which Goldy writes a headline referring to himself in the third person.
Posted by gloomy gus on November 14, 2011 at 5:15 PM
2
Which has WTF to do with the story
Posted by maddogm13 on November 14, 2011 at 5:17 PM
3
Steve jobs did it first. Just another example of how AMZ is behind the curve.
Posted by sonder on November 14, 2011 at 5:42 PM
Fifty-Two-Eighty 4
As if Goldy has ever apologized for anything in his entire shabby little sordid life. Piss on you, fuckhead.
Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty http://www.nra.org on November 14, 2011 at 5:47 PM
Fnarf 5
You know, the first time someone complained about using "In Which" to start off an item heading, I thought, meh, whatever, it's not that bad. The second time someone complained about using "In Which" to start off an item heading, I thought, well, maybe he's got a point. The third time someone complainted about using "In Which" to start off an item heading, IT WAS ME.
Posted by Fnarf http://www.facebook.com/fnarf on November 14, 2011 at 5:51 PM
6
Gimme a break. It's a shtick I sometimes use in headlines. It's not like I'm torturing you by making you stand outside for hours in sub-freezing temperatures.
Posted by Goldy on November 14, 2011 at 5:53 PM
Kinison 7
"But that doesn't exactly give Amazon the moral or legal right to force their employees to stand outside for hours in sub-freezing temperatures, "

It does if theres a fire, a fire drill, or even a false alarm. With 1,200 employees in the warehouse, it take some time to do a head count and make sure everyone got out safe. Where I work, its like 60 people and it takes 10 minutes to conduct a drill and headcount, which is usually done twice a year.

http://articles.mcall.com/2011-11-05/new…
Posted by Kinison http://www.holgatehawks.com on November 14, 2011 at 5:57 PM
emma's bee 8
@6: for realz. WTF is up with you, people? This shit is wrong.
Posted by emma's bee on November 14, 2011 at 5:59 PM
DOUG. 9
Please stop the "In which..." meme for headlines. You are not a British satirist.
Posted by DOUG. http://www.dougsvotersguide.com on November 14, 2011 at 6:11 PM
10
@5 at least Goldy didn't misspell anything. "complainted"?
Posted by shaneleopard on November 14, 2011 at 6:12 PM
Fnarf 11
@10, I made a typo. I'm sorry. Goldy is unapologetic about "In Which".
Posted by Fnarf http://www.facebook.com/fnarf on November 14, 2011 at 6:19 PM
Gus 12
Are the employees forced to wear shorts and t-shirts to make sure they can't hide things under their clothes?
Posted by Gus on November 14, 2011 at 6:19 PM
13
Sometimes I think it would be cool to blog for a living, and then I read the comments
Posted by raku on November 14, 2011 at 6:20 PM
Matt from Denver 14
@ 13, if your stuff is consistently of high quality, you'll be alright. Goldy's work isn't.
Posted by Matt from Denver on November 14, 2011 at 6:34 PM
AmyC 15
@11 - i kinda like "complainted." it's a little bit charming...like hearing an adorable 4-year old tell you he loves your basketti.
Posted by AmyC on November 14, 2011 at 6:45 PM
16
The "in which" thing reminds me of the chapter titles in the A.A. Milne books, which I loved as a child. So I'm ok with it. Goldy, if you could work Owl and Rabbit into one of the posts, that would be kind of nice, too. Say, maybe Christopher Robin makes them all go stand outside in the snow in the 40 Acre Wood becaue he suspects Piglet of stealing.
Posted by Eric from Boulder on November 14, 2011 at 7:13 PM
rob! 17
@9, A.A. Milne was a... oh, never mind.
Posted by rob! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZBdUceCL5U on November 14, 2011 at 7:15 PM
DOUG. 18
@17: "Tom Jones" predates "Winnie the Pooh" by nearly two centuries.
Posted by DOUG. http://www.dougsvotersguide.com on November 14, 2011 at 7:31 PM
seandr 19
In which seandr feels strangely compelled to reply "Fuck 'em, let 'em freeze."
Posted by seandr on November 14, 2011 at 7:59 PM
20
Oh my gosh! You people hurt my feelings so much, I think I'm going to quit The Stranger and go back to HA where everybody in the comment threads was so relentlessly nice.
Posted by Goldy on November 14, 2011 at 8:43 PM
TVDinner 21
We know you're tough, Goldy, but it'd be nice if you'd learn a bit from the drubbing you get and start improving. You're getting grief from some reliably generous commenters about the spotty quality of your work. I'd take that shit seriously.
Posted by TVDinner http:// on November 14, 2011 at 9:13 PM
22
21 gots a point man. You are generally spot on, experienced, insightful. All that. But for Pete's sake don't make your headers so... Mudede? Can't read him. But I love your writing. Oh yeah, Lose that third person crap. The road to editorial madness lies that way. Ends with twinkling y know?
Posted by derkle on November 14, 2011 at 9:45 PM
23
@21: Really? I write a very reasonable post linking to a thoroughly reported article about some egregious acts on the part of Amazon's management, and all folks in the comment thread want to do is bitch about some shtick I very occasionally use in my headlines... and I should "take that shit seriously"...?
Posted by Goldy on November 14, 2011 at 10:11 PM
DOUG. 24
@23: Paul Constant uses the shtick, uh, constantly. Blame him.
Posted by DOUG. http://www.dougsvotersguide.com on November 14, 2011 at 10:24 PM
seandr 25
@23: Reasonable? There are very few people here on SLOG for whom "reasonable" has any positive connotations.

Take it from me, with a phrase like "in which", you should either never use it or use on every single post. There's no middle ground with a phrase like that. Same goes for referring to yourself in the 3rd person.

I think you should go for every post.
Posted by seandr on November 14, 2011 at 10:50 PM
26
@23 Goldy: Keep doing your own thing!

You are still surprised at how shallow and narcissistic folks are here,aren't you? I thought the venom at HA was a little less precious. Or is that pretentious? Still, the Stranger paper definitely has an audience, and it is different from the Slog.

I'm guessing that the shorts are because it is so damn hot, or the warehouse people just like wearing shorts...
Posted by cracked on November 14, 2011 at 11:08 PM
27
23

that is the point, asswart.

folks have to wade through your shit to get to the information.

enroll in community college and take a few courses in English and Journalism.

Posted by f78oh on November 15, 2011 at 12:26 AM
28
I don't mind "In which..." as a rhetorical device but it doesn't really make sense unless it's a sub-headline of something else.
Posted by Sousaphone Colossus on November 15, 2011 at 7:39 AM
Zotz 29
Don't change anything, Goldy. You're doing just fine.
Posted by Zotz on November 15, 2011 at 7:43 AM
treefort 30
What's with all the hate? I like the "in which." Calm down.
Posted by treefort on November 15, 2011 at 7:44 AM
Matt from Denver 31
FWIW, Goldy, this is the kind of thing you should write all the time. You do this, and you jettison all your half-assed, poorly researched and all-emotion-no-logic posts, and you'll be fine.
Posted by Matt from Denver on November 15, 2011 at 8:08 AM
hans millionaire 32
who wears shorts and t-shirts to work on a day with sub-zero temps in the first place? its not like it is a fedex uniform required by the employer
Posted by hans millionaire on November 15, 2011 at 11:15 AM

Add a comment

Advertisement
 

All contents © Index Newspapers, LLC
1535 11th Ave (Third Floor), Seattle, WA 98122
Contact Info | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Takedown Policy