General Business Updates and News

[ac3r]

Amazon is expanding in Waterloo Region: https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...ir-5875757

[tomh009]

Amazon is expanding in Waterloo Region: https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...ir-5875757

It's the Hamilton Warehouse 2! 🙄 (Amazon referred to it as YHM2.)

[bravado]

If you talk to the neighbours, you’d think this Amazon warehouse is built on a dozen cemeteries. Somehow protecting Blair is important when it’s a warehouse with needed (but shitty) jobs, but not needed when it’s time to build new soulless subdivisions. It’s next to the 401!

[tomh009]

Amazon appears to pay $18-19/hour (according to Indeed) so better than minimum wage at least, plus benefits and a deferred profit-sharing plan. So, there are definitely worse jobs around.

[Bytor]

Amazon appears to pay $18-19/hour (according to Indeed) so better than minimum wage at least, plus benefits and a deferred profit-sharing plan. So, there are definitely worse jobs around.

But once you factor in the horrible working conditions Amazon warehouses are known to have, is it still that good? Many former Amazon employees do not think so.

[tomh009]

Amazon appears to pay $18-19/hour (according to Indeed) so better than minimum wage at least, plus benefits and a deferred profit-sharing plan. So, there are definitely worse jobs around.

But once you factor in the horrible working conditions Amazon warehouses are known to have, is it still that good? Many former Amazon employees do not think so.

Not saying it's good, just that it's not the worst. Many minimum-wage jobs have terrible working conditions, too.

[danbrotherston]

But once you factor in the horrible working conditions Amazon warehouses are known to have, is it still that good? Many former Amazon employees do not think so.

Not saying it's good, just that it's not the worst. Many minimum-wage jobs have terrible working conditions, too.

Amazon has a solid track record of a much higher rate of workplace industry than the average in their warehouses.

You might be right, but I certainly wouldn't want to put any money on it. Certainly for those who get injured and possibly suffer a permanent disability, it's the worst job they could have had.

[ac3r]

Covid-19 outbreaks aside, the working conditions in their Canadian operations aren't as bad as they are in places like the USA or Mexico. I've met plenty of people who have said that while it's not a place to have a career, it's decent for a regular job if you just need a pay cheque.

[danbrotherston]

Covid-19 outbreaks aside, the working conditions in their Canadian operations aren't as bad as they are in places like the USA or Mexico. I've met plenty of people who have said that while it's not a place to have a career, it's decent for a regular job if you just need a pay cheque.

That might very well be the case, I only know about the US operations and I'm betting Canadian regulations are better than American ones...I mean, I have no specific knowledge but it's usually a safe assumption.

[tomh009]

[Amazon has a solid track record of a much higher rate of workplace industry than the average in their warehouses.

On average, half the companies are higher than the average.

(Yeah, OK, that would actually be the median, but the point is the same -- lots of companies either way.)

This is from the G&M:

Before the pandemic hit, Ontario, B.C. and Alberta data show Amazon had higher-than-average injury rates. The company had 430 allowed injury claims in Ontario alone last year, according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

As for cause of injury, the data show, the most common factor was overexertion.

The most common injury cause is pretty much what one would expect in a warehouse. From the few sentences here, I can't really tell how much worse they would be than another warehouse operation. (Having worked in a factory warehouse in my youth, I know that it's no fun and the opportunities for injury are everywhere.)

[neonjoe]

One positive, despite this being a greenfield development it does already have or can have pretty decent transit connections.

[bravado]

One positive, despite this being a greenfield development it does already have or can have pretty decent transit connections.

With Conestoga College across the road, this area really should get much more transit attention than it currently does.

[ac3r]

It'll be a great job for college students too. Part time work for 17-18 hour to start, benefits etc is a great gig for anyone paying for school.

[ac3r]

The iconic Weston's Bread sign has finally been taken down (which is sad, it was as iconic as the Schneider's sign on the highway): https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/weston-s-br...-1.6171623

[KevinL]

Any word on its fate - will it be preserved somewhere?