Turk

"Of the 1,000 jobs, 375 would be "higher-wage quality jobs," according to the county, with average annual pay of $47,581. Commissioner Sandra Murman, who represents the area where the distribution center is being considered, said she's "ecstatic." "This is the big silver bullet we've needed to kick off our economic development efforts," Murman said. When the facilities are operational, Amazon will begin collecting the 6 percent state sales tax as required under Florida law. Negotiations between Amazon and the state seemed dead last month after Scott signaled that he would not support a proposal that would include — essentially — a tax increase for many Floridians. But Scott spokeswoman Melissa Sellers said the deal announced Thursday was not a reversal of his earlier stance but a "culmination of ongoing discussions."—Michael Van Sickler and Bill Varian (link)

"Only one of the employees interviewed described it as a good place to work. Workers said they were forced to endure brutal heat inside the sprawling warehouse and were pushed to work at a pace many could not sustain. Employees were frequently reprimanded regarding their productivity and threatened with termination. […] During summer heat waves, Amazon arranged to have paramedics parked in ambulances outside, ready to treat any workers who dehydrated or suffered other forms of heat stress. Those who couldn't quickly cool off and return to work were sent home or taken out in stretchers and wheelchairs and transported to area hospitals. And new applicants were ready to begin work at any time. […] When Amazon workers asked in meetings why [loading dock doors weren't left open to allow air to circulate] at the Amazon warehouse, managers said the company was worried about theft."—Spencer Soper (link)

"Whenever he clocked out after his 12-hour shift at an Amazon warehouse, Jesse Busk had one more critical task to perform before he could hop into his car and head home to sleep: Pass through the sprawling warehouse security checkpoint. The purpose of the checkpoint was to prevent workers like Busk from pilfering electronics or other pricey goods from the Amazon stock. The process deeply annoyed Busk, but not because of any indignity he may have felt in being checked for contraband. What bothered him was the time it required after an exhausting day -- up to 25 minutes, all of it unpaid."— Dave Jamieson (link)