Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Amazon's Minimum Wage Hike: Heartfelt Activism, Or Crass Political Opportunism?
IBD ^ | 10/04/2018

Posted on 10/04/2018 8:26:52 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Amazon, the massive online retailer, announced with great fanfare that it will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, and will encourage others across the nation to do the same. Is it unselfish public-mindedness, or political and competitive pressures that's behind the move?

Sorry, Jeff Bezos, but we don't buy the social justice talk anymore. Anytime a multi-billion dollar corporation begins talking about social issues, check your wallet. And then look at who's pressuring them.

That's certainly the case with Amazon, which on Tuesday announced the minimum wage hike.

"We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement about the pay raise, which goes into effect next month.

"Leading" will be expensive, since a lot of workers will be affected. Some 250,000 people work for Amazon, which plans to hire another 100,000 for the Christmas holiday season.

But the truth is, it's a move not premised on doing "the right thing," as leftist minimum wage activists like to say, but on Amazon keeping its edge as the nation's leading retailing force.

Bezos' Minimum Wage Hike Activism Start with the fact that Jeff Bezos, a bazillionaire from his Amazon holdings (in fact, the richest human on Earth), won't be pulling out his checkbook to pay for this minimum wage hike. Whatever else you might feel about this, you'll pay for it. In fact, you probably already are, since Amazon just jacked up its Amazon Prime subscriptions by $20.

Nor did Amazon's move come from some deep cry of conscience over economic injustice. Rather, it came in response to a brutal political attack on the company by socialist millionaire Senator Bernie Sanders.

(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: amazon; economy; minimumwage
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-44 next last
In September, Sanders ripped Amazon for not paying its workers, especially seasonal and part-timers, more. And he claimed, absurdly, that Amazon was forcing workers onto welfare — and therefore also forcing taxpayers to subsidize one of the biggest companies on Earth.

Memo to Bezos: When you start taking economic advice from an economically illiterate politician who, among other things, has lauded Venezuela's insanely destructive socialist policies, you might be heading for trouble.

1 posted on 10/04/2018 8:26:52 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

DUH!


2 posted on 10/04/2018 8:30:10 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“Whatever else you might feel about this, you’ll pay for it. In fact, you probably already are, since Amazon just jacked up its Amazon Prime subscriptions by $20.”

You would only pay that if you sign up for Amazon Prime.

Otherwise, there is no cost to you.

You can instead shop at Sears.


3 posted on 10/04/2018 8:30:25 AM PDT by Blue House Sue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I vote for Crass Political Opportunism.

Bezos is a snake and the Washington Post is an evil extension of the evil Democrat party.


4 posted on 10/04/2018 8:35:33 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Bozo can afford paying his peeons $20/hr. Why doesn’t he if he cares soo much.


5 posted on 10/04/2018 8:36:42 AM PDT by DivineMomentsOfTruth ("There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily." -GW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I wonder if Amazon employees will keep any benefits they have or do those get taken away or reduced to cover this hike.


6 posted on 10/04/2018 8:39:08 AM PDT by uptowngirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

We should have zero problem with a business owner deciding himself to raise the minimum wage (or median wage, or maximum wage, or deputy wage, or senior wage, or line manager wage) in his own business.

Likewise, we should have zero problem with the business owner deciding himself to place more outlay into advertising, inventory, quality raw materials, air conditioning, parking lot repair, roof fixing, employee uniforms, bigger office space, better tooling, etc.

Our problem should be instead with a THIRD PARTY compelling the business owner how to direct his financial and other resources.

It very will may be the best and most sensible thing for the business owner to raise wages of entry level employees. HE IS IN THE BEST DECISION TO DECIDE AND BENEFIT.


7 posted on 10/04/2018 8:39:43 AM PDT by mbarker12474
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

It’s something of a pea and shell game. Increased wage for a cut in benefits and bonuses.

https://www.wisn.com/article/amazon-employees-in-kenosha-unhappy-about-minimum-wage-raise/23574647


8 posted on 10/04/2018 8:44:23 AM PDT by BBQToadRibs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Hard-boiled business strategy.

Force minimum wages up, and the likelihood that any start-up firm will ever get rolling to challenge you decreases significantly.


9 posted on 10/04/2018 8:44:26 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: uptowngirl

Jeff’s perfect Socialist model... giving with one hand (raised wages), taking back with the other (no bonuses or stock options). Old Jeff Bezos has learned much from the Libs at the WaPo and the reptiles of the Swamp...

Old Bernie smiles!!! Demand a $15 minimum wage, tax half of it back... where the worker is worse off than before... ain’t Socialism wunnerful!

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/3/17934194/amazon-minimum-wage-raise-stock-options-bonus-warehouse


10 posted on 10/04/2018 8:46:11 AM PDT by FiddlePig (The greatest threat to our sacred liberty is to not value it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: DivineMomentsOfTruth

Based on his personal wealth, Bezos can give away $10 million per day — every day — and not run out of money for over 30 years.


11 posted on 10/04/2018 8:46:34 AM PDT by trublu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

“Force minimum wages up, and the likelihood that any start-up firm will ever get rolling to challenge you decreases significantly.”

Higher wages for workers has an inflationary impact, in the very same manner that higher compensation for corporate executives has an inflationary impact.


12 posted on 10/04/2018 8:49:54 AM PDT by Blue House Sue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Blue House Sue
Amazon has already said that in addition to this they will lobby for the national minimum to be raised to $15.

There's the tell.


13 posted on 10/04/2018 8:51:31 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
I don't buy this story either. It's been reported that Amazon will by lobbying for wage hikes across the board. It looks to me like a tactic to drive out their competition by saddling them with unaffordable labor costs. Amazon has an abnormally large profit margin and can absorb a $15 per hour min wage but their competition can't and they know it. It's like a predatory pricing attack but using labor costs as the weapon.

It's ironic that decades ago we heard leftist scream how big corporations were evil. Those on the right defended them as pro business. Today big corporations have come full circle and are becoming the evil the left always said they were.

14 posted on 10/04/2018 8:54:40 AM PDT by precisionshootist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

“Amazon has already said that in addition to this they will lobby for the national minimum to be raised to $15.”

Then don’t go online and buy from Amazon, but instead order from your Sears Catalog.


15 posted on 10/04/2018 8:55:35 AM PDT by Blue House Sue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: uptowngirl

Nope. From an Amazon employee on TV yesterday.....side benefits gone...


16 posted on 10/04/2018 8:55:45 AM PDT by originalbuckeye ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'- George Orwell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: precisionshootist

“Amazon has an abnormally large profit margin and can absorb a $15 per hour min wage but their competition can’t and they know it. It’s like a predatory pricing attack but using labor costs as the weapon.”

It is not Amazon’s fault that their competitors have slimmer profit margins.


18 posted on 10/04/2018 8:58:11 AM PDT by Blue House Sue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: precisionshootist

“Today big corporations have come full circle and are becoming the evil the left always said they were.”

In what way is higher wages and prosperity for the American worker evil?


19 posted on 10/04/2018 9:00:30 AM PDT by Blue House Sue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

It’s just crumbs to put the schmooze on, according to Representative Botox.


20 posted on 10/04/2018 9:08:42 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks ( The US Constitution ....... Invented by geniuses and God .... Administered by morons ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-44 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson