Amazon Worker Correspondent
A new work tracking program and new machinery integrated at our Amazon warehouse MQY1, in central Tennessee, on August 5 has increased production speeds leading to work exhaustion, faulty robotics, and malfunctions. For the past year, Amazon promised a future of automation with faster production speeds and less need of human assistance. Instead, we see ineffective and dangerous measures falling onto the workers to pick up the slack.
A new program for Pack and AFE (“Amazon Fulfillment Engine”, where parts of orders are consolidated) was implemented to include Units Per Hour, cycle time, and total units on the work stations around August 5. This program is a similar system to that already in place in the Pick department. Many workers in these departments have been feeling troubled and frustrated because it places more pressure on you to keep up your rate. This program goes all the way to tracking the time we take breaks, including bathroom breaks, leading to people getting punished for minor time off task.
MQY1 is one of the largest Amazon warehouses in the country and has been an early adopter of automation and new technology. Throughout the past year, it has been more evident to workers in MQY1 that production goals and production speeds have increased across different departments with the adoption of these new technologies.
Many of us see that the monopoly is not only changing our warehouse with monitoring technologies, but the machines are also going much faster for more profits.
Different workers have noticed that the large bottleneck robots known as Robins and Drives move at a faster pace. This faster pace and high production rates also lead to more faulty robots and a lot more damaged packages because these machines drop or run over them. This makes the job for Amnesty Floor Monitors (who patrol automated warehouse floors) and Problem Solvers much more difficult since we were already walking tens of thousands of steps to fix robotics problems.
Frequent machine breakdowns have sparked more complaints because the machines get old and worn out without the company giving enough proper maintenance. As the robotics work constantly, almost 24/7, many workers are starting to notice that these machines are degenerating. We keep facing the same issues. As issues with the machinery at MQY1 stay the same and slowly get worse, it seems that Amazon also tries to fix it by installing power boxes and transformers.
A warehouseman told The Worker that “Amazon wants to keep as many workers in beginner levels so they don’t have to pay them more. They are increasing the power of our plant so they can add more robots. If we stay for long enough we’re going to start seeing layoffs.”
We are looking for worker correspondents: cashiers, drivers, nurses, construction workers, cleaners, warehouse staff—anyone who wants to report on what’s really happening at work. Share a story, a tip, a victory, or a fightback. We’ll help you turn it into an article. Contact us at theworkerpaper@proton.me.
Image: An Amazon fulfillment center in Troutdale, OR. Credit: Tedder on Wikimedia Commons.
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