The Ethical Question of Using Amazon
Ethical convenience or too good to be true?
By: Max Killeen
In the United States and around the world, our lives have seemingly never been more convenient. The ability to push a button on your phone and have any product or food imaginable arrive on your doorstep is a luxury past generations couldn’t enjoy or even fathom. Grubhub, UberEats, and the granddaddy of them all, Amazon, are integral to the fast and easy consumer experience that has become ubiquitous in the United States. However, with that convenience comes a whole lot of exploitation, and all of the aforementioned companies are a part of that exploitative infrastructure—most specifically Amazon.
Amazon was the second most profitable company in the United States in 2021 with profits upward of $7 billion. Its founder and former CEO, Jeff Bezos, is the third richest man on Earth, with a net worth of over $100 billion. Behind that immense profit margin, however, lurks a toxic company culture. Amazon steers its workers away from forming unions and restricts the time they can take during their shift to use the restroom. When the workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama led the first union movement in the company’s history in 2021, media coverage shone a spotlight on how Amazon treats its workers. This led many people to ask: is it wrong to use Amazon’s services? It is a loaded question. Amazon’s ubiquity makes it difficult for you to avoid it. Because of its convenience, there will almost certainly be another customer waiting to take your place. Indeed, if Amazon didn’t exist, one could argue that another company would surely rise and take its place, serving the same function. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the company, rather than the consumer, to ensure that its workforce is being treated fairly. It is up to you to decide whether or not it is justified to use the services of a company like Amazon.
So the question remains: what can we do about Amazon?
The answer lies within a few places.
First, the right of Amazon workers to form a union must be guaranteed and protected by the federal government. The ability of workers to leverage their positions as producers is tantamount to creating a more dignified and humane working environment. In the United States, it is illegal for a workplace to fire or retaliate against a worker who chooses to join a union. However, many of these laws were written in the 1930s, and it is safe to say that they might be too antiquated to protect modern workers. What we need is a fortification of these laws, taking into account the newer anti-union techniques employed by large companies. For example, in Bessemer, Amazon was criticized for attempting to sway their employees’ decision on unionizing. They held captive audience meetings, which are mandatory for workers to attend. These meetings were used to spread anti-union messages. These tactics must be stopped in order to foster a fair working environment.
The second solution is more hypothetical. Despite its ubiquity and vast profits, Amazon fails to meet the Department of Justice’s definition of a monopoly, having a market share of under 50%. However, it is growing rapidly. If it becomes a monopoly, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t come close, the Department of Justice should not hesitate to utilize antitrust laws to break it up. Monopolies are economically harmful, and if left unchecked, they can lead to more labor abuses.
You as a consumer have a few choices as well.
Buying local is one way you can choose to support establishments that do good for your community. Local businesses, especially brick-and-mortar locations, are the lifeblood of your community. Shopping at them is a way to ensure your money goes towards keeping your neighborhood alive with unique and familiar shops. By choosing to shop local whenever possible, you’re keeping your money local and out of the hands of large corporations with problematic labor practices.
What you can also do is vote. Vote consciously! Evaluate each candidate’s actions, rather than what they’re telling you on the campaign trail. If you are truly passionate about the working conditions of Amazon employees, vote or canvas for demonstrably pro-union candidates. No boycott of Amazon by a few people is going to change things. But supporting firebrand, pro-union candidates and using your voice can.
The question of whether or not to use Amazon depends on your commitment to labor rights in the United States. If you believe you can put Amazon’s abuses out of your mind when using it isn’t really part of the question. It is what you plan to do to implement broader change in our system. Voting, buying local, and volunteering for political movements and organizations are all routes you can take to foster change. Because at the end of the day, you are not to blame for Amazon’s abuses, but without using your vote and without commitment to labor rights, you are complacent in their abuses.