Amy's workers "treated like donkeys".

[Cattledog]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/amys-kitchen-says-food-made-love-factory-say-job-left-injured-rcna8189?fbclid=IwAR3K23v2xO0ruQE4NUAwYTqfgGxOKLg6NoIqeHeYN5zx79N62W4lajDJJQk

When Ines De La Luz showed up for work at the Amy’s Kitchen factory in Santa Rosa, California, wearing an arm brace, prescribed after she couldn’t move her hand at the end of a fast-paced shift making frozen burritos in July 2020, she says a supervisor ordered her to remove the brace and return to the production line.

It was the start of a 1½-year ordeal that would send her back and forth to a doctor who she says hesitated to give her tougher work restrictions, and eventually to a new job in the factory disinfecting the cafeteria, alongside other injured workers.

De La Luz and another injured worker who cleans the cafeteria say it was called “the corral,” like on a farm. Though they aren’t sure where the name originated, they say it highlighted the feeling that they were no longer important to the company, a family business that is one of the country’s top makers of vegetarian frozen and canned food. De La Luz says that in the fall of 2021, when she learned she was a candidate for surgery to treat her arm injury, Amy’s Kitchen told her it was eliminating her position in the cafeteria and laid her off.

[denbot]

1. WTF

This shouldn’t happen in this state.

[EYESORE 9001]

3. It shouldn't happen in ANY state, yet it does

Tyrannical industrialists don’t drop their greed and cruelty at the state line. Sure, some states have more protective laws on the books than others, but these bastards stay up at night thinking of ways to circumvent regulations and restrictions. I’m glad this came to light and that it serves as a wake-up call to inspectors and enforcers.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Amy's Kitchen says its food is made with 'love.' Some at the factory say the job has left them injured

Some factory workers who make meals at the family business describe an unforgiving workplace that pushes them past the point of injury.

[malaise]

6. Tut tut

The owner’s love of money 😀

[PCIntern]

20. "Look what you made me do to you!"

“You know I do these things because I love you.”

We have heard these sentences before….

[Victor_c3]

4. I saw the same crap when I worked for Amazon

I was a production manager at one of their facilities more than a decade ago and this is exactly how employees were treated there. Once you’re injured and start being put on work restrictions or accommodations, you’re on your way out.

I saw it happen over and over again and, as a low level manager, there was nothing I could other than quit - which wasn’t really an option for me at the time. They gave me a $30,000 cash sign on bonus and, if I didn’t work there at least two years, I had to pay it all back. I had just bought a house when I started that job and my (ex)wife just had our first child.

My hatred for corporations stems precisely from my time with Amazon.

[Demovictory9]

5. sad to hear this because I buy Amy's often

[whathehell]

7. I used to buy Amy's often -- I just quit!

No sweatshops!

[3Hotdogs]

8. ME 2.

Sad thing is, its good stuff.

[whathehell]

33. Yes, if enough people boycott them

they will feel pressured to clean up their act.

[SergeStorms]

16. I used to buy their organic foods....

Used to! There are other brands available, some from areas much closer to where I live. I'll be trying them now.

[whathehell]

31. Yes, they need to clean up their act. n/t

[milestogo]

9. Me too.

[ariadne0614]

10. The personal is political. n/t

[Raine]

11. Me too 😟 nt

[2naSalit]

14. I have used a few of their products...

But not often nor recently. I have contemplated buying an item of two in the past few months but for some reason I got an uneasy feeling about it and moved on without buying those items. Guess I'll carry on not buying their stuff.

[PatSeg]

23. I do too

This is very disappointing. I guess I naively assumed that any company that sold organic vegetarian food would be a caring, responsible employer.

GOODNESS IS OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLE.

We choose what’s best for our customers, our farmers, our employees and our planet. It’s a tall order, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

When we learned that many of our Spanish-speaking employees weren’t using their health insurance to visit doctors because of language barriers and because they didn’t want to take time off from work, we built on-site Health Centers staffed with bilingual doctors to ensure that all of our employees and their families are getting the proper care they need.

Our goal is to do things the right way. Right by our customers. Right by our farmers. Right by our family of employees. And right by our Earth. The right way isn’t always the smart way or the easy way, but it’s the only way we’re interested in.

https://www.amys.com/our-story/our-promise


Some impressive words on their website, but apparently they are just empty words. Maybe this reflects who they once were.

[sop]

12. For what Amy's stuff costs, they should be doing better by their employees.

[2naSalit]

15. +1

[KPN]

27. +2!

[Raine]

35. It's not like the stuff is cheap, they get plenty for it. 😠 nt

[Lonestarblue]

13. I don't buy a frozen or processed food, but I have purchased Amy's products.

Not any more. We obviously need more inspectors in businesses like this. And I recall that Trump issued some order allowing production lines, I think it was for meat products, to speed up beyond what was safe for workers or the contents of the products. Trump issued so many destructive orders the Biden administration may never get them all reversed.

[Shellback Squid]

17. they have a cafeteria? that's rough

[blogslug]

18. I'm not sure what you mean?

Does having a cafeteria somehow negate that former employees were possibly overworked to the point of injury and then fired when they could no longer perform in the positions that got them injured?

[Farmer-Rick]

19. Capitalism sets up a system where overworked and underpaid employees

Are how you make profits.

If you are good with abusing your workers, profits are almost limitless. If you want to treat everyone fairly and equitably you won't make huge profits. Capitalism is only one step up from feudalism.

"They say that the growth of Amy’s Kitchen has been made possible by increasing the speed of production lines and that workers are becoming injured in an effort to maintain the speed. They say that the conditions leave them especially vulnerable to repetitive stress injuries that gradually get worse over time."

"The workers there say that the production lines have steadily increased in speed over the years without corresponding increases in pay or better resources to prevent injuries."

Capitalism is one shitty economic system. We need a new one.

[OldBaldy1701E]

21. HEAR HEAR! (n/t)

[LittleGirl]

22. Exactly! nt

[KPN]

28. When you see the abuses and corruption, it's hard to

argue with that. Not sure there’s actually a better system when people are involved. Ultimately, the greedy and power craven scheme their way to the top — or many of those at the top succumb to lust for wealth and control. The only solution that I can see are better regulation, laws and enforcement capability. Good luck with that in today’s political environment. Our two party system has run amuck.

[Farmer-Rick]

30. Well, when kings were abusing their people

When serfs were forced to work the land they were born on and to give their crops away to the already rich and fat; when kings and lords sold the land and serfs that lived on it like cattle to crueler and harsher landlords; when kings took away from the common man even the ability to pick up dead sticks off the forest floors; when silly rules like what fabric and color you can wear were enforced, the common man found another system. Kings and lords got progressively worse, harsher more restrictive.

Does this sound familiar? Laws preventing common people from getting needed medical services and preventing people from feeding the homeless and hungry. Turning a country into a nation of sales clerks and waiters. These are but symptoms of a failed economy. The solution to abusive kings and Lords was democracy. The solution to and abusive economy is more democracy.

We have to take back the power of capital and give it to the citizens. No more King CEOs and Lord Chairman of the board. The workers should be filling those roles not the filthy rich. We have to free the worker from the chains of the abusive bosses. We have to be allowed to pick up the dead sticks again.

Co-ops are one way, restrictions and laws on the use and flow of capital are another way. Huge taxes on the wealthy was how FDR did it. There are many ways to take back the power we gave to capital. It only requires political will.

[KPN]

32. Excellent points. Thanks for expanding my clarity of mind this

morning. Definitely, strengthening democracy by taking it back from monied interests is key … and that starts with voting , getting out the vote and a better informed public. So much to do … we all need to roll up our sleeves and contribute in whatever way we can. I’d prefer to do this outside of the hierarchical confines of party institutions for example. Sort of like Bernie.

[Farmer-Rick]

37. Great points

It seems our political parties are not quite up to the task of changing.

The majority of registered voters in Tennessee are listed as independent. Yeah, they are more conservative than liberal but it tells you something about how they don't want to be identified as Republicans anymore. The change happened after W lost the last election.

Unfortunately with our winner takes all voting system it doesn't allow for a 3rd party. In fact, 3rd parties end up taking away votes from one or the other party and blocking a win. Maybe the answer is a 3rd party with a single issue, or small group of issues, that appeals to both party members equally. That way when they run, they in theory take votes equally from both parties. I'm not sure what those issues would be and if a single issue, or small group of issues, would be enough to draw away enough votes to beat out 2 well established parties.

But you are right, it all starts with everyone voting.

[Tommymac]

36. Regulated Capitalism is not as bad. Unfortunately the unregulated type is King today.

Thank politicians (vast majority Rethugs) who feed at the Corporate Trough due to the SC Citizen's United Decision.

Take the money out of politics and we can once again regulate Capitalism so it is not as hurtful to a large number of people.

So many pieces to the puzzle.

[XacerbatedDem]

24. Disgusting. I won't buy their products either after reading this post.

I hate having to say this over and over again, so I'm just going to start using the initials IAATB. Ok, 1 more time: It's All About The Benjamins

[Sunny Daze]

25. No more Amy's food

landing in my shopping cart or belly.

[Phoenix61]

26. Scratch that off my shopping list. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

29. Truly Good Companies Don't Behave Like This

Ergo, Amy's Kitchen is not a good company.

[KPN]

34. Geez! Shattered illusions. I'm done with Amy's.

Too bad. They make some good stuff, but I can’t support that culture. I’m going to write them to say so.

[XanaDUer2]

38. I stopped buying

Them because I hate their meals. Glad I did so