Posted on 06/30/2018 7:52:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
How much is unskilled labor worth? For liberals, you might think the answer is an astronomical $15 an hour, the minimum wage many states have set, destroying jobs that cannot provide that much value. But for libs, $15 an hour is just the starting point. The Atlantic wrote a sob story about someone who took a part time job delivering packages for Amazon for $18 an hour (which would eventually go up to $25). Her anger, and indignation, explains what is wrong about the liberal entitlement mentality.
The Amazon Flex program lets workers deliver packages as independent contractors. They can choose when and for how long they work. It's an extremely flexible job that accommodates the need of people who have irregular part-time schedule. The tradeoff, of course, is that it is not like a full time job with full benefits, and contractors must pay costs (fuel and car repairs) themselves, which does eat into earnings. But it is still a generous payment for unskilled labor. But what irritated the Atlantic writer the most was that "good jobs" for unskilled labor are being replaced by independent contractors who are not being paid the same generous wages as they were in the past as employees
"Flex workers get no health insurance or pension, and are not guaranteed a certain number of hours or shifts a week. They are not covered by basic labor protections like minimum wage and overtime pay, and they don’t get unemployment benefits if they suddenly can’t work anymore."
And why should they? They aren't full time employees.
"One Amazon Flex driver in Cleveland, Chris Miller, 63, told me that though he makes $18 an hour, he spends about 40 cents per mile he drives on expenses like gas and car repairs. "
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I think a lot of independent contractor drivers for Uber and Amazon miss in addition to fuel is that their vehicle insurance may not cover business or commercial use, and the state may want the vehicle registered as commercial — all significantly more expensive.
54.5 cents a mile is the IRS deduction. So he's grossing an additional 14.5 cents a mile in addition to his hourly rate. (Deduction over cost).
And cashiers should earn $25 per hour right?
“And you spend a small fortune on coffee and snacks”
—
There’s where you made a bug mistake.
.
Until someone puts a Gun to your Head and makes you take a Job, don't bitch about what you volunteered for.
When I was in my late teens and early 20’s, I worked three Part Time Jobs working six and seven days a week while taking Night Classes in College.
One of those Jobs turned into a Career at a Company where I spent 32 Years, working my way up from a Mail Clerk to Regional Vice President.
Frigging Pussies who have the privilege of living in the greatest Nation known to Man. Spit...
well bless his heart. And he takes the standard 55cent per mile deduction off his itemized taxes. (is it still 55cents?) So he's making a 15cent profit per mile. My little heart breaks for his struggles. /s
Peter North?
I’m convinced that an Amazon Flex driver stole a package left at my doorstep by USPS. I wasn’t at home. But my neighbor noted that he had seen the USPS parcel delivered about ten minutes before the delivery of my Amazon package (confirmed by track and delivery data on both parcels). I’ve had packages delivered this way (upstairs condo) for over thirty years without a glitch. Just a coincidence? No. I complained and even requested info on that driver but Amazon was mum. I wanted to see his criminal background check. Be careful, Amazon has thieves working for them.
Amazon will get dragged into court as a co-defendant in the resulting lawsuit because they'll be the only party with any money, and they'll end up sitting down and realizing that this was a bad idea from the start.
For years I made $20/hr.(on commission,not by the clock)in a skilled job,so the employer paid half of S.S.,etc. No meaningful tax deductions except standard exemptions on a 1040. I had to buy my own tools,had no health insurance almost the whole time as it was way more than I could afford.. Of course,car expense was my own as well. I don’t know if the independent contractor or myself got the worst end of it. Like the independent contractor,I had no company retirement,either. I did get paid vacation & holidays.
Thanks SeekAndFind.
But it is not a job where you expect to go somewhere. You make your own hours and you are a freelancer. No one is forcing them to take the job. I’m not an extreme capitalist. I don’t like robber barons. But I see no wrong with this. They are taking a job in which they’d give concessions to get concessions.
Or I could be completely wrong :-)
What, is this entire piece written by Roseanne Rosannadanna? The whole premise of this article is bogus. The Amazon contractor makes that amount before having to pay for the costs, including gas, of the vehicle. That means the actual compensation is far below that. The same has been happening to Lyft users, as it does at times with taxi drivers: making less than the minimum wage, which is allowed through the loophole of their being “contractors”.
Sure, they can and ought to just take a job elsewhere, but I don’t see anything wrong with them exposing the scam, trying to change it, and warning others.
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