NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon’s announcement that it would raise its hourly minimum wage to $15 has been seen as a win for workers. But some longtime employees say they are losing out.
Those who already made $15 will get an extra dollar an hour when the change is made next month, but they will also lose two benefits they relied on: monthly bonuses that could top hundreds of dollars and a chance to own Amazon’s sky-rocketing stock, currently worth nearly $2,000.
Longtime workers, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear they would be fired, said the $1 raise would not make up for the lost benefits. Amazon says the increase in hourly wages more than compensates for the benefits that will be phased out.