Months after parent-company Amazon conceded to public pressure from Democratic lawmakers and raised their minimum wage to $15 an hour for all employees; Whole Foods has slashed worker hours and other benefits to cope with the increased labor costs.
“Since the wage increase, Whole Food employees have told the Guardian that they have experienced widespread cuts that have reduced schedule shifts across many stores, often negating wage gains for employees,” reports the Guardian.
“The Illinois-based worker explained that once the $15 minimum wage was enacted, part-time employee hours at their store were cut from an average of 30 to 21 hours a week, and full-time employees saw average hours reduced from 37.5 hours to 34.5 hours,” adds the report.
“We just have to work faster to meet the same goals in less time,” said one employee. “My hours went from 30 to 20 a week.”
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is launching a national campaign to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour across the country; raising serious concerns from employers and small businesses on how to handle the increased costs.
Read the full report here.
BERNIE’S LESSON: Amazon Cuts Bonuses, Stock Options After Minimum Wage Hike
Online retail giant Amazon is cutting back on bonuses and other stock options for its warehouse workers after it raised its minimum wage for all employees to at least $15 an hour; a sharp rebuke of Sen. Bernie Sanders public crusade against one of the nation’s largest corporations.
According to Bloomberg, “Warehouse workers for the e-commerce giant in the U.S. were eligible in the past for monthly bonuses that could total hundreds of dollars per month as well as stock awards, said two people familiar with Amazon’s pay policies. The company informed those employees Wednesday that it’s eliminating both of those compensation categories to help pay for the raises.”
The revised payment scheme may actually result in “less wages” for certain workers.
“Because it’s no longer incentive-based, the compensation will be more immediate and predictable,” Amazon said.
The announcement comes just weeks after Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his full-fledged campaign against the one of the nation’s largest companies; unveiling new legislation that would impose a stiff tax for government benefits received by full-time employees.
Read the full story at Bloomberg.
REPORT: Bernie Sanders to Introduce Legislation to DOUBLE Federal Minimum Wage
Vermont Senator and potential 2020 candidate Bernie Sanders will introduce legislation in the coming days to drastically increase the federal minimum wage; setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown with Congressional Republicans heading into the 2020 election season.
“The federal minimum wage of $7.25 is a starvation wage. That is why I, along with many other members of Congress, will introduce legislation this week to raise that wage to $15 an hour. If you work 40 hours a week, you should not live in poverty,” Sanders posted on social media.
The federal minimum wage of $7.25 is a starvation wage. That is why I, along with many other members of Congress, will introduce legislation this week to raise that wage to $15 an hour. If you work 40 hours a week, you should not live in poverty.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 14, 2019
The bill comes as the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week; becoming the longest shutdown in US history.