Keeping costs low is a priority that is directly related to the new commitment to profitability that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos outlined in the fourth quarter report last February. However, the future of the Seattle distribution center remains cloudy. Despite the upbeat feeling among Amazon's distribution center employees now working in other departments, their relocation is not without tension. But the issue keeps being avoided. While under the illusion of being in a near-permanent position many employees put in extra hours for the consideration to be hired.
Some green badges feel betrayed.
In addition, while relocated distribution center employees were assured that they would not be fired during their temporary relocation to other departments, it is not known what will happen to them once the one to two months is up. If the distribution center shuts down and the relocated employees are not offered the jobs that they are working, many workers wonder what will happen next. Many workers say it is irresponsible to make big changes at a company like Amazon without informing the workers the changes will affect in advance. Remarkably, however, labor law offers little protection to either permanent or agency temp employees who face being laid off without notice. Only employees that are covered by union security clauses, negotiated under a union's collective bargaining agreement, are excluded from the at-will employment law.