Over $18 an Hour With Lots of Risks
For one Reno local, getting a job at the Amazon Fulfillment Center as it’s called north of Reno was exactly what he needed to get through these difficult times as many other companies were instead letting go of their workers.
The employee wishes to remain anonymous in order to keep his job, but expressed how, “there weren’t that many job options due to coronavirus... Amazon was one of the few companies hiring,” he said. He said Amazon is paying $18.75 an hour to its workers during COVID-19 due to the high-risk factor of working alongside hundreds of others.
In mid-April, fears were confirmed as the center announced it was dealing with its first known case of COVID-19 and implementing strict guidelines to be able to stay open.
“I feel safe there,” our anonymous source said. “They always make us wear gloves and masks and provide us with materials to clean our stations at the start and end of every shift.”
Fewer Cars in Parking Lot
“I noticed a lot less cars in the parking lot. It just made me question if I should continue working there,” said our source, when the case was initially announced.
He said he would continue to work there to pay more bills and other expenses, but will not stick around too long. The company is notoriously tight-lipped with media and giving access to journalists, but in books and articles workers have complained of having to stay on their feet for long stretches and simultaneously very physical and tedious requirements for warehouse work.
Inside the break room, signs give thanks to staff who are putting their lives at risk as more and more local residents turn to the giant retailer.
New Measures and Huge Profits
New measures include more signage, preventing stand-up meetings, spreading out tables in break rooms, staggered shifts, extra precautions for any employee feeling unwell, including paying them for up to five hours even if they go home early, video-based interviews for most new applicants, and more availability of wipes and masks.
Analysts are saying Amazon, which already has 800-thousand workers worldwide, has a strong business model for pandemic times, including its cloud computing services, and that it is poised to continue on its hiring spree.
In France, a country known for worker rights, complaints and strikes, Amazon has had to shut down all six of its distribution centers following an April court ruling the online retailer hasn’t done enough to protect its warehouse workers. This type of result is unlikely to be seen anywhere in the United States though, including here in Reno.