1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: customer because you guys paid progress. You guys paid problems. 3 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: This is megaco, an investigative podcast exposing some of the 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: world's most unethical corporations. This series is about Amazon. I'm 5 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: Jake Hanrahan, journalists and documentary filmmaker. Mega Corp is produced 6 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: by H eleven for cool Zone Media. You remember we 7 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: briefly spoke about the health and safety conditions inside various 8 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: Amazon warehouses. In episode one, we spoke about how people 9 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: were getting injured due to unsafe working environments. Well after 10 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: that aired, I got a message from a contact of 11 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: mine who currently work as an Amazon employee on the 12 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 1: warehouse floor in a warehouse somewhere in America. Now he 13 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: still works there, so he doesn't want to kind of 14 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: give his identity out, so we would just call him Jim. 15 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: Here's what Jim had to say. Those injury statistics. There's 16 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: just no way that those statistics are accurate, um, even 17 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: though they're really really bad. Because um, one of the 18 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: worst things that can help in at Amazon is for 19 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: you to report an injury. Because if you reported the injury, 20 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: your manager has to fill out a form and then 21 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: you go to the on site or infirmary. Um, and 22 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: then they make you sit down and then they fill 23 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 1: out of report and then HR is gonna get ahold 24 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: of you, and then it turns into a thing where, um, 25 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: they really don't want a worker's compensation claim. So UM. 26 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: It actually just happened to me today where I was 27 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: limping because I have a really bad blistered foot from 28 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: working on Black Friday, and one of my co workers 29 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: actually told my manager, uh, and it wasn't cool because 30 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: I didn't want I was like, this is how bad 31 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: it is an Amazon where I was upset that Uh. 32 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: My coworkers said that I was hurt because I just 33 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: didn't want to go through the process. And all I 34 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: had to tell my manager was I don't want to 35 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: go to am care, which is that's all you got 36 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: to say. Am Care is the Amazon carrots. It's the 37 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: thing where they started investigating you. Um, and I just 38 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: don't want to go through that at I don't want 39 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: to be sent home, I don't want to have to 40 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: deal with, uh, the investigation. I don't want to be 41 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: harassed by the company. So um, nobody wants to report 42 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: those things and we have a general understanding that things like, oh, 43 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: he wasn't social distancing enough, or he was late to 44 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: work consistently or something like that. They use bullshit excuses 45 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: to fire people for reasons that they don't want to 46 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: get in trouble for, which is why the best thing 47 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: for an Amazon employee is to have nobody talk to you. 48 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: I got hired on my first three four months. I 49 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: didn't talk to a single human being. I signed on 50 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: and I signed into the scanner, and then I just 51 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: followed the algorithm and it told me where to go. 52 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: Uh And that was when I was sucked with the 53 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: least nobody said anything to me by my stotistics or 54 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: anything like that. So, um, it's kind of one of 55 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: those things where if you stand up for yourself or 56 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: if you make your concerns known, they will catch you somehow, 57 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: some way. I think it's really sad there how Jim 58 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: just says they will catch you somehow, some way, as 59 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: if that's a sort of normal thing to be saying. Personally, 60 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: I couldn't imagine working in the sort of environment that 61 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: has employees hiding injuries so that they don't get fired 62 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: or singled out. I've worked in a lot of warehouse jobs, 63 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: before I became a reporter. Before I was a journalist, 64 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: I worked in warehouses. I worked on building sites as 65 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: a laborer. I've done a lot of stuff like that, 66 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: and I've never actually experienced something that bad where it's like, no, 67 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: I better hide this injury because I don't want to 68 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: get in trouble. That's kind of sucked up now. Jim 69 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: is only one guy, but I do trust him. He's 70 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: even sent me images of injuries he's sustained at Amazon. 71 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: But I thought, you know what, let's have a look 72 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: at the real environment of health and safety at Amazon 73 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: to see what's really going on here. So just last year, 74 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty, the UK's GMB trade union obtained figures 75 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: that showed injury rates weren't improving at more than fifty 76 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 1: of the country's Amazon warehouses. GMB used the Freedom of 77 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: Information Act to obtain the figures that showed the dire 78 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: situation of warehouse safety. In fact, as sited in a 79 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: Guardian article by Rob Davies, in the three years leading 80 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: up to twenty, more than six hundred Amazon workers have 81 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: been seriously injured at UK warehouses. That's an average of 82 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: two hundred plus Amazon workers a year sustaining what's classed 83 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: a serious injury in the workplace in the UK. The 84 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: numbers speak for themselves. The annual total of Amazon ware 85 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: house injuries was one hundred and fifty two in the 86 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: years twenty sixteen to twenties seventeen. It went up to 87 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: two hundred thirty in eighteen, and then up again to 88 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: two hundred and forty in twenty nineteen. Now, there's something 89 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: in this article that further corroborates what Jim told us. 90 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: It talks about how there was an accident at an 91 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: Amazon warehouse in fifteen. Basically, somebody drove a forkliff truck 92 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: backwards into a steel structure in a warehouse, knocking some 93 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: of it down. A report into the incident concluded that 94 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: the driver had had elapsed in concentration due to quote 95 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: long working hours, something we've heard a lot about already 96 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,159 Speaker 1: in this series. Now, the article then goes on to 97 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: say this quote. Internal emails from the Health and Safety 98 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: executive show that the accident was reported by an Amazon 99 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: worker who would not give their name because they were 100 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:18,039 Speaker 1: worried about getting sacked. End quote. Now, if you're not 101 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: familiar with UK vernacular, getting sacked means getting fired, you 102 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: lose your job. So it seems what Jim told us 103 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: that the start has been going on for a while now, 104 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: not just in specific warehouses. I mean that stretches from 105 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: a UK warehouse in fifteen to a US warehouse in one. Remember, 106 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: Jim said he thinks the official figures, which are very 107 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: high anyway, for injuries at Amazon warehouses, are too low 108 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: because he said, people are worried that if they report 109 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: an accident or an injury, they might lose their job. 110 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: Even so, these the two sticks for Amazon warehouse injuries 111 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: in the US are very high anyway. You've spent the 112 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: better part of a year investigating Amazon and its warehouse conditions. 113 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: What did you find? We found that they're they're injuring 114 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: a tremendous amount of people. These are extremely high injury rates. 115 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: The reason behind us is just how fast these warehouses move, 116 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: how fast the workers are acquired to move. They're injuring 117 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: a tremendous amount of people. So let's look at the 118 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: numbers again. Twenty twenty one study by these Strategic Organizing 119 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: Center the s o C shows that workers are more 120 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: likely to be injured Amazon warehouses than in any other 121 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: warehouse in that industry. There also more likely to be 122 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: injured more frequently Amazon warehouses, and even more severely. So basically, 123 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: if you work in warehouses for a living, you are 124 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: way more likely to catch a severe injury working for 125 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: Amazon the any of their competitors. The data shows that 126 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: Amazon workers had five point nine serious injuries per on people. 127 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: For context, that's almost higher than other warehouses in the industry. 128 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: Not only that, due to how bad the injuries sustained 129 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: at Amazon warehouses are, the s OC discovered that Amazon 130 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: workers also took longer to recover than others in their 131 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: same industry. In the report, they say, quote in Amazon 132 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: workers who experienced lost time injuries were forced off of 133 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: work for an average of forty six point three days, 134 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: more than a month and a half. This is a 135 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: week longer than the average recovery time for workers injured 136 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: in the general warehouse industry, and more than two weeks 137 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 1: longer than the recovery time for the average worker who 138 00:08:56,080 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: suffered a lost time injury. End quote. So both lee, 139 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: if you work for Amazon, you're more likely to get 140 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: funked up in the warehouse. It's more likely to be 141 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: a bad injury and you're more likely to have to 142 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: take more time off than any other warehouse to recover 143 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 1: from it. The data shows that Amazon's injury rates are 144 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: actually more than twice as bad as their strongest competitor, Walmart. 145 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: With that in mind, let's hear what Amazon's founder Jeff 146 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: Bezos signed off with In his twenty one a letter 147 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: to his shareholders, Basos left on a very Bezos like note. 148 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: He quotes a passage from a Richard Dawkins book that reads, 149 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: in part, staving off death is something that you have 150 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: to work at. Staving off death is something you have 151 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: to work at. After going through all those numbers, ironically 152 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: enough sounds to me that you might even meet your 153 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: death whilst trying to work very hard to stave off 154 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: your death an Amazon where house. But anyway, let's hear 155 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: what else he had to say. He blamed the media 156 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 1: for misrepresenting their employees as desperate souls. Are being treated 157 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: like robots, he says, and I according again here, that's 158 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: just not accurate. So apparently, according to Jeff Bezos, the 159 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: real issues at Amazon, the reporters aren't being accurate anyway. 160 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: Not only are people at risk of injury due to 161 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: overwork in the Amazon warehouse. They're also at risk due 162 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: to Amazon's lack of adequate weather provisions. In the summer 163 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: of this year, one Amazon workers at New York's Staten 164 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 1: Island Warehouse had to be carried out of the building 165 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: on stretches due to the extreme heat from a summer 166 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: heat wave. As reported by independent news outlet Status Coup, 167 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: Amazon workers began to faint inside the warehouse, which is 168 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: roughly the size of fifteen football pitches. Imagine how much 169 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: he has to gather in a place that big to 170 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: make it so hot that workers actually start to faint. 171 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,439 Speaker 1: Ambulances were cooled and people were stretched out of the building, 172 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: but Amazon didn't shut down the warehouse. Instead, they gave 173 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: them cheap portable funds, as if that would do anything. 174 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: As the workers sweltered in the warehouse, employees in the 175 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: offices sat there with the air con When workers would 176 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: walk over to HRS officers where the executives were to complain, 177 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: those HR officials would have perfectly working air conditioning, and 178 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,839 Speaker 1: in many cases they would be wearing hoodiess because it 179 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: was actually cold in their corner at the warehouse. That's 180 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: the voice of Jordan's Cheriton, the reporter who wrote this 181 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: status coup article about Amazon workers fainting in the Staten 182 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: Island warehouse, and inside the warehouse they're Amazon claims that 183 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,839 Speaker 1: there is a central air conditioner, but if there is, 184 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,840 Speaker 1: it's certainly not working. So on the ground floor workers 185 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: have told me as soon as they got in there 186 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 1: basically soaking wet from the heat inside the warehouse. And 187 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,559 Speaker 1: when you move up to the second, third, fourth floors 188 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: of the warehouse it gets even hotter as heat rises. 189 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: So I've seen videos just on in one day of 190 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: four ambulance visits to Amazon. So it's a mixture of 191 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: just sweltering heat. To corroborate all these status could obtained 192 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: some of the internal complaints made at this time to 193 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: the Amazon HR department from various different warehouse workers. Let's 194 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: have a read Edison quote. If there's another oppressive heat 195 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: wave like ninety or one degrees fahren high outside, will 196 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: the facility be cool enough to work? End quote? Dana 197 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: quote is still ways you hot even with the station fans? 198 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: How is the system working properly? If internal temperatures a 199 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 1: seventy to eighty degrees Please look into this until it's 200 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:16,280 Speaker 1: fixed properly and comfortable. End quote. Natalie quote, multiple water 201 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: stations were out of water today. Many of the vending 202 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 1: machines don't work. They take your money, though. The ice 203 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: machines are always broken. If you had more consideration for 204 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: your workers, these machines will be checked maintained more often. 205 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: It would be greatly appreciated. End quote. It's clear from 206 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,960 Speaker 1: all this that the employees were in danger due to 207 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:44,199 Speaker 1: Amazon's inconsiderate working conditions, even when there's a summer heat wave. 208 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: But remember what Bezo said, off depth is something that 209 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: you have to work at. No. Let's check back in 210 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: with Jim. You remember Jim from the start of the episode. 211 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: He'd hurt his foot at Amazon, and he was telling 212 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 1: us that he feels workers are scared to report workplace 213 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 1: injuries to Amazon for fear that they might lose their job. Obviously, 214 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: Amazon doesn't fire them directly for getting injured, but as 215 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: we heard from Jim earlier, he feels, as do other 216 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,679 Speaker 1: people that I've spoken to, that Amazon will find an 217 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 1: excuse to get rid of you if you do hurt yourself. 218 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: So I kept in contact with Jim to see how 219 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 1: his injury was going, and Eventually it got to a 220 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: point where he said, yeah, okay, he's gonna check himself 221 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: into am Care and Care is Amazon's on site emergency 222 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: clinic for workers. Now he found that after reporting into 223 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: am Care telling them he had been injured at work, 224 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: he found himself hounded by the managers. Now, maybe they 225 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: just wanted to keep a real eye on him to 226 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: make sure he was feeling better, but I don't think so. 227 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: Here's what he had to say. So today, after every break, 228 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: I had a manager asking me about my am care 229 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: case and tell me to go talk to am care, 230 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: uh to at least check in, even if I wanted 231 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: to keep the case open all about the injury. So eventually, 232 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: around four o'clock after like the third manager talked to me. 233 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: And by the way, the way that the managers talk 234 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: to you, it's very like agent Smith in the matrix 235 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: because they it's never the same manager, and and like 236 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: just like when they discipline you, it's always a manager 237 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: that you don't typically see. Like they'll send you from 238 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: they'll send you a manager from a different department because 239 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: they don't want the manager that you talked to every day. 240 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: And it's just supposed to build a positive relationship with 241 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: to be the manager that punishes you. So the managers 242 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: kind of just appeared out of nowhere, like like, okay, 243 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: you're talking to me now, and never were reminding me 244 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: to go talk to am Care about this injury case. 245 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: So I finally went to am Care. Uh, and I said, 246 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: and I'm good with closing the case now. My managers 247 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: have helped me to accommodate and adjust to the situation 248 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: and I'll deal with it now. Um. And she goes, oh, okay, Uh, 249 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: so you want to close the case. I said, yeah, 250 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: I want to close the case. I'm going to go 251 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: talk to a doctor on my own time. And she goes, oh, 252 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: if you're going to go talk to a doctor, then 253 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 1: we got to proceed with the workers compensation claim. And 254 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: I said, no, we're going to close the am Care case. 255 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: And at this point, I am no longer comfortable sharing 256 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: further medical information with Amazon. I could tell with like 257 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 1: the doctor thing, she was like she was giving up 258 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: to fight. She's like, Okay, so you're gonna go talk 259 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: to your doctor and get a note, and and we're 260 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: gonna have our notes and we're gonna have all this 261 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: conversation here like like you could hear it in her voice. 262 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: I could tell she was just probing for more information 263 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: and she was just building a case that gainst the situation. So, 264 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: as I said before, Jim is just one of several 265 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: Amazon workers I've spoken to for Mega Corps so far. 266 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 1: Bob known Jim for a while and I do trust him. 267 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 1: He showed me photos of the forms, the injuries, and 268 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: his work system, all sorts. With that said, I think 269 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: it's clear here that as far as Jim is concerned, 270 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: the managers at Amazon were more worried about having to 271 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: compensate Jim for his injury than the fact he was 272 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: injured at all. One last thing that I found funny 273 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 1: here from Jim, I asked for a copy of the form, 274 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: and the copying machine was broken. So that probably tells 275 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,719 Speaker 1: you how many other people are worried about protecting their 276 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: rights when they come through the door. But of course 277 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: the copy of machine was broken. Either way, Jim took 278 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: a photo of the form and he showed me it. 279 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 1: It's nothing interesting, but for the sake of transparency, it 280 00:17:55,600 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: says the following. After careful consideration, I Jim requesting that 281 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: my case with am Care be closed. This includes any 282 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: ongoing care slash first aid and scheduled follow ups. I 283 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: certify that I am making this request voluntarily, and I 284 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:16,239 Speaker 1: am doing so by my own choice, without duress or 285 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: undue influence of any kind. I understand that this request 286 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: does not impact my ability to return to am Care 287 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: if my injury should begin to affect me again, or 288 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: should I have another injury or illness. I understand I 289 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 1: am free to return to am Care for treatment at 290 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: any point in time. Then there's the associate signature, and 291 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: then the day, which was fairly recently. Now that's just 292 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: one example. Jim didn't hurt himself too badly, and he decided, right, 293 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: he'll deal with this outside of Amazon, will go and 294 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,400 Speaker 1: talk to his doctor. But I think the most interesting 295 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: thing about that last thing he said is that his 296 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: manager seemed to be gearing up for some kind of 297 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: argument when he mentioned he was going to go to 298 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: his own doctor. It's like they wanted to settle everything 299 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: in house, so does not have to compensate Jim monetarily 300 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 1: for his injury at work in the Amazon warehouse. But 301 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: like I said, this is just an example. Make of 302 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: it what you will. Now, whilst I was editing this episode, 303 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: something truly awful happened. An Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, 304 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:28,679 Speaker 1: in the US collapsed due to storms and a tornado. 305 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: The roof caved in around eight thirty at night on December. 306 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: So far, at least six people have died and there 307 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,959 Speaker 1: were many still missing, all presumed dead. Also, they were 308 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 1: all Amazon workers. They were Austin J. McEwen twenty six, 309 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: DeAndre S. Morrow, Kevin D. Dickey sixty two, Clayton Lynn Cope, 310 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: Ethery s Heab t four and Larry E. Verdon. Now 311 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: let me be clear, I am, of course not blaming 312 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: Amazon for their deaths. Amazon is, of course not responsible 313 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:16,679 Speaker 1: for a shock tornado. In a statement of the press, 314 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: they said the following quote, We're deeply saddened by the 315 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 1: news that members of our Amazon family passed away as 316 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: a result of the storm in Edwardsville, Illinois. Our thoughts 317 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:32,880 Speaker 1: and prayers with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone 318 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 1: impacted by the tornado. We also want to thank all 319 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: the first responders for their ongoing efforts on seen. We're 320 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:45,119 Speaker 1: continuing to provide support to our employees and partners in 321 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 1: the area. End quote. Now they just said there that 322 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: they're continuing to give support to their employees. Well are they. 323 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:59,679 Speaker 1: As this statement was released, Amazon workers began to talk online. 324 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:05,399 Speaker 1: One worker, Stefan Jose Jones, posted to Facebook saying that 325 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,160 Speaker 1: Amazon were threatening him with disciplinary for not coming back 326 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: into work the very next day, even though the police 327 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: had called off the area because of course there was 328 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: destruction all over the place due to the fact the 329 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: warehouse Ruford caved in and six people had just died. 330 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: Here's what Stefan Jose Jones wrote on his Facebook page 331 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: in full quote, I'm on the phone with Amazon E 332 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: r C and they're telling me I'll be marked as 333 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: a missing shift, even though the state police just told 334 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: me to go home. Then he got the nerve to 335 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,439 Speaker 1: get smart with me and say if I want the 336 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: points removed, I need to go back to the site 337 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: and speak to HR. There is no HR or management office. 338 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: It's buried and the building is surrounded by emergency management 339 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: and cops. All I know is they better pay me 340 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: and relocate us to d l I five or something. 341 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: The whole weird thing is all week building maintenance and 342 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: different crews have been in there watching us, doing inspections 343 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: on the equipment and started hiring for the Safety Committee 344 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: yesterday end quote. Another Amazon worker, Leslie Campbell, wrote the 345 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: following on Twitter quote. I'm an Amazon worker in Kentucky. 346 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:29,119 Speaker 1: Tornado hit two miles from my house and I physically 347 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: couldn't get to work for my shift. The e C 348 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: team told me that they had no record of tornadoes 349 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: in Kentucky and couldn't help me with not getting attendance 350 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: time reduced for today. My house plus many others are 351 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: still without power, but that pels in comparison to the 352 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: loss of life and homes that others have gone through 353 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,439 Speaker 1: in the grand scheme of today, My family and I 354 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,880 Speaker 1: were lucky end quote. So before the bodies of six 355 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: Amazon workers killed in a tragic natural disaster were barely 356 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: even cold, Amazon told workers that they had to get 357 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: back to work the very next day. So if you 358 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 1: work on Amazon and you work across the street from 359 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: the collapse building, you are to report to your shift 360 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: starting at twelve pm tomorrow tomorrow. And they said that 361 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: they're providing support to their employees and partners in the area. 362 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: It doesn't sound like it to me. There's one more 363 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: thing that I want to mention in regards to the 364 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: tragedy in Illinois. This came in just as we were 365 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: ready to publish this episode. Thank you to everyone that 366 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: sends it to me. This was first reported by more 367 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: Perfect Union and Excellent platform that's dedicated to building a 368 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:56,199 Speaker 1: better environment for all working people. They specialize in getting 369 00:23:56,240 --> 00:24:00,159 Speaker 1: information out there into the media about various situations with 370 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 1: unions and what have you. They published a text message 371 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: from Larry Verdon. Remember we mentioned him earlier. He was 372 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: one of the people who died when the tornado hit 373 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: the Amazon warehouse. This is a tragic text message that 374 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:23,959 Speaker 1: he sent to his girlfriend. It says, quote Larry, well, 375 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: I will be home after the storm his girlfriend. What 376 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: do you mean, Larry, Amazon won't let us leave his girlfriend? 377 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: All it's doing here is lightning? So what are you doing? 378 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: I hope everything is okay. I love you? End quote. 379 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: Of course, Larry never replied. Sadly, he was killed when 380 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 1: the roof caved in the Amazon warehouse. He leaves behind 381 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 1: four children. Now, there's no more information out there yet 382 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: regarding what Larry said, saying that Amazon wouldn't let them leave, 383 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: but as comes in, we will keep you updated. To 384 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:07,679 Speaker 1: some this might seem unrelated, but one day after the 385 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: tragedy at the Amazon warehouse in Illinois, Jeff Bezos launched 386 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:17,400 Speaker 1: another one of his Blue Origin rockets into near space. 387 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: We'll go into Blue Origin in another episode, but basically 388 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: it's Jeff's commercial space flight venture. It's something he said 389 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:32,439 Speaker 1: when it launched that all Amazon customers and employees paid 390 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: for I want to think every Amazon employee and every 391 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: Amazon customer, because you guys paid for all this. Personally, 392 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,679 Speaker 1: I think it was bad taste not to postpone the flight, 393 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: considering six of those said employees were just killed under 394 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:54,159 Speaker 1: the weight of a collapsing Amazon warehouse as a tornado 395 00:25:54,320 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: tour through it. But that's just me. In the next 396 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:06,120 Speaker 1: episode of Mega Corp, we'll be looking into how exactly 397 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 1: Jeff Bezos made so much money through Amazon and how 398 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: he's managed to wrangle it that he paid no corporation 399 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,960 Speaker 1: tax in the UK last year whilst making a sales 400 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 1: income of forty four billion euros in Europe. We'll go 401 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: over that next week on Megacorp. Megacorp is made by 402 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: my production company H eleven for cool Zone Media. It's written, researched, 403 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: and produced by myself, Jake Hanrahan. It was also produced 404 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 1: by Sophie Lichtman. Music is by Some Black, graphics by 405 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:52,159 Speaker 1: Adam Doyle and sound engineering by Splicing Block. If you 406 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: want to get in touch, follow me on social media 407 00:26:55,600 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: at Jake Underscore Hanrahan. That's h A n I A 408 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: h A n m.