美國(guó)食品雜貨配送服務(wù)平臺(tái)Instacart的員工計(jì)劃在本周一舉行罷工,要求公司針對(duì)新型冠狀病毒疫情提供更好的員工保護(hù)措施。目前,該平臺(tái)上的客戶訂單數(shù)量激增,此次罷工或?qū)⒃斐蓢?yán)重的影響。
瓦妮莎·貝恩是組織此次罷工的維權(quán)委員會(huì)成員。她表示:“我們就是想刺激Instacart有所行動(dòng)。罷工的目的不是要使Instacart徹底停止運(yùn)營(yíng),但如果為了得到我們需要的福利必須這樣做,我們也義無(wú)反顧。”
該維權(quán)委員會(huì)能夠聯(lián)絡(luò)15000名Instacart員工。該委員會(huì)稱,他們?cè)啻我驣nstacart提供個(gè)人防護(hù)裝備,每筆訂單發(fā)放5美元危害津貼,并向高風(fēng)險(xiǎn)員工和出現(xiàn)新冠肺炎癥狀的員工提供病假工資等。工人們指責(zé)公司對(duì)于大部分需求都充耳不聞,因此他們計(jì)劃持續(xù)罷工,直到公司滿足他們的需求。
Instacart公司CEO阿普瓦·邁赫塔表示,此次罷工正值公司業(yè)務(wù)最繁忙的時(shí)期。隨著新冠疫情在美國(guó)的持續(xù)蔓延,人們紛紛選擇食品雜貨配送服務(wù),以免在實(shí)體店中接觸到病毒,同時(shí)避免長(zhǎng)時(shí)間排隊(duì)結(jié)賬。
為了滿足用戶需求,Instacart正在迅速增加人手,最近宣布計(jì)劃招聘30萬(wàn)快遞人員。
面對(duì)罷工威脅,Instacart回應(yīng)稱,公司正在“積極”研究,采取“預(yù)防性”措施,以保證公司的安全運(yùn)營(yíng)。對(duì)于確診感染病毒或被強(qiáng)制隔離的員工,Instacart曾宣布發(fā)放14天工資。上周五,Instacart宣布將該福利的截止日期從4月8日延長(zhǎng)至5月8日。此外,Instacart還宣布向處理訂單數(shù)量達(dá)到一定標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的員工發(fā)放最高200美元獎(jiǎng)金,但其中并不包括Instacart的快遞員。同時(shí)Instacart還允許員工配送酒精飲料時(shí),用客戶的身份證掃描件取代客戶簽字,從而避免近距離接觸。
公司在聲明中表示:“無(wú)論是采購(gòu)員、客戶還是員工,他們的健康和安全始終是我們的重中之重。我們絕對(duì)尊重采購(gòu)員向我們提供反饋和表達(dá)擔(dān)憂的權(quán)利。因?yàn)檫@是我們持續(xù)改善購(gòu)物體驗(yàn)的重要途徑。在當(dāng)前的關(guān)鍵時(shí)期,我們致力于為這個(gè)重要的群體提供支持?!?/p>
但貝恩認(rèn)為,Instacart的應(yīng)對(duì)措施并沒有解決核心問題。她表示,員工必須有醫(yī)生證明他們被強(qiáng)制隔離或者被確診感染了新型冠狀病毒,才能獲得病假工資,但目前病毒檢測(cè)依舊緊缺,而且許多員工沒有醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)可以支付看醫(yī)生的費(fèi)用。除此之外,許多員工已有其他病癥,這增加了他們因病毒導(dǎo)致病情加重的幾率,但當(dāng)前的政策并不包括這些人。此外,公司依舊不會(huì)為采購(gòu)員配備必要的清潔用品,所以他們無(wú)法對(duì)購(gòu)物車進(jìn)行消毒或者在把商品交給客戶之前洗手。
貝恩說:“客戶可以待在家里,通過快遞服務(wù)采購(gòu)商品,這讓他們產(chǎn)生了一種虛假的安全感。但我們知道,病毒在購(gòu)物袋上是可以存活的?!?/p>
而且從有些客戶的話中可以看出,早在Instacart員工計(jì)劃罷工之前,用戶對(duì)于病毒的擔(dān)憂已經(jīng)對(duì)該公司的服務(wù)產(chǎn)生了影響。許多人購(gòu)買的商品要等一周甚至更長(zhǎng)時(shí)間才能配送,而且由于店內(nèi)缺貨,訂單送達(dá)時(shí)經(jīng)常缺少商品。有購(gòu)物者投訴,他們沒有收到商品卻被扣費(fèi),但他們聯(lián)系不到該公司的客服代表解決問題。
70歲的卡洛爾·西蒙居住在得克薩斯州福特沃斯。她說自己第一次嘗試了Instacart,因?yàn)樗龘?dān)心自己年紀(jì)大了,而且患有哮喘,現(xiàn)在到外面去太危險(xiǎn)。她從Instacart上訂購(gòu)了15件商品,當(dāng)時(shí)得到的承諾是三天內(nèi)送達(dá)。
她說:“我收到一封電子郵件告訴我:‘您的訂單已經(jīng)送達(dá)?!以谇伴T廊和后門廊什么也沒看到?!?/p>
西蒙說,Instacart曾經(jīng)提示她除了一罐V8果汁以外,所有商品全部缺貨,但她卻為這些商品付了錢,而且支付了配送費(fèi)和服務(wù)費(fèi)。她就這筆費(fèi)用向信用卡公司進(jìn)行了投訴。
70歲的格雷斯·斯特勞德也是第一次使用Instacart購(gòu)物,并且也有類似遭遇。她下了一筆180美元的訂單,但沒有收到訂購(gòu)的商品,卻被扣除了圣女果的費(fèi)用以及服務(wù)費(fèi)與配送費(fèi)。
斯特勞德說:“我嘗試過撥打客服電話,但他們說需要等待59分鐘。我剛剛已經(jīng)寫好了這筆費(fèi)用的支票。”
15000名采購(gòu)員中即使只有部分人參加周一的罷工,也會(huì)影響Instacart的服務(wù)。Instacart員工此前曾經(jīng)組織過一天罷工和其他抗議活動(dòng),敦促公司改善工作條件,例如調(diào)整小費(fèi)政策,要求公司更透明地解釋確定員工工資的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)等,此次罷工將是Instacart員工首次無(wú)限期罷工。
貝恩說,促使他們決定罷工的“最后一根稻草”是Instacart新招聘30萬(wàn)快遞人員的決定。
她說:“這讓人感覺他們好像早已知道我們會(huì)生病,所以他們要找人取代我們。30萬(wàn)人將與我們面臨相同的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。這太可怕了!”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
美國(guó)食品雜貨配送服務(wù)平臺(tái)Instacart的員工計(jì)劃在本周一舉行罷工,要求公司針對(duì)新型冠狀病毒疫情提供更好的員工保護(hù)措施。目前,該平臺(tái)上的客戶訂單數(shù)量激增,此次罷工或?qū)⒃斐蓢?yán)重的影響。
瓦妮莎·貝恩是組織此次罷工的維權(quán)委員會(huì)成員。她表示:“我們就是想刺激Instacart有所行動(dòng)。罷工的目的不是要使Instacart徹底停止運(yùn)營(yíng),但如果為了得到我們需要的福利必須這樣做,我們也義無(wú)反顧?!?/p>
該維權(quán)委員會(huì)能夠聯(lián)絡(luò)15000名Instacart員工。該委員會(huì)稱,他們?cè)啻我驣nstacart提供個(gè)人防護(hù)裝備,每筆訂單發(fā)放5美元危害津貼,并向高風(fēng)險(xiǎn)員工和出現(xiàn)新冠肺炎癥狀的員工提供病假工資等。工人們指責(zé)公司對(duì)于大部分需求都充耳不聞,因此他們計(jì)劃持續(xù)罷工,直到公司滿足他們的需求。
Instacart公司CEO阿普瓦·邁赫塔表示,此次罷工正值公司業(yè)務(wù)最繁忙的時(shí)期。隨著新冠疫情在美國(guó)的持續(xù)蔓延,人們紛紛選擇食品雜貨配送服務(wù),以免在實(shí)體店中接觸到病毒,同時(shí)避免長(zhǎng)時(shí)間排隊(duì)結(jié)賬。
為了滿足用戶需求,Instacart正在迅速增加人手,最近宣布計(jì)劃招聘30萬(wàn)快遞人員。
面對(duì)罷工威脅,Instacart回應(yīng)稱,公司正在“積極”研究,采取“預(yù)防性”措施,以保證公司的安全運(yùn)營(yíng)。對(duì)于確診感染病毒或被強(qiáng)制隔離的員工,Instacart曾宣布發(fā)放14天工資。上周五,Instacart宣布將該福利的截止日期從4月8日延長(zhǎng)至5月8日。此外,Instacart還宣布向處理訂單數(shù)量達(dá)到一定標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的員工發(fā)放最高200美元獎(jiǎng)金,但其中并不包括Instacart的快遞員。同時(shí)Instacart還允許員工配送酒精飲料時(shí),用客戶的身份證掃描件取代客戶簽字,從而避免近距離接觸。
公司在聲明中表示:“無(wú)論是采購(gòu)員、客戶還是員工,他們的健康和安全始終是我們的重中之重。我們絕對(duì)尊重采購(gòu)員向我們提供反饋和表達(dá)擔(dān)憂的權(quán)利。因?yàn)檫@是我們持續(xù)改善購(gòu)物體驗(yàn)的重要途徑。在當(dāng)前的關(guān)鍵時(shí)期,我們致力于為這個(gè)重要的群體提供支持?!?/p>
但貝恩認(rèn)為,Instacart的應(yīng)對(duì)措施并沒有解決核心問題。她表示,員工必須有醫(yī)生證明他們被強(qiáng)制隔離或者被確診感染了新型冠狀病毒,才能獲得病假工資,但目前病毒檢測(cè)依舊緊缺,而且許多員工沒有醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)可以支付看醫(yī)生的費(fèi)用。除此之外,許多員工已有其他病癥,這增加了他們因病毒導(dǎo)致病情加重的幾率,但當(dāng)前的政策并不包括這些人。此外,公司依舊不會(huì)為采購(gòu)員配備必要的清潔用品,所以他們無(wú)法對(duì)購(gòu)物車進(jìn)行消毒或者在把商品交給客戶之前洗手。
貝恩說:“客戶可以待在家里,通過快遞服務(wù)采購(gòu)商品,這讓他們產(chǎn)生了一種虛假的安全感。但我們知道,病毒在購(gòu)物袋上是可以存活的?!?/p>
而且從有些客戶的話中可以看出,早在Instacart員工計(jì)劃罷工之前,用戶對(duì)于病毒的擔(dān)憂已經(jīng)對(duì)該公司的服務(wù)產(chǎn)生了影響。許多人購(gòu)買的商品要等一周甚至更長(zhǎng)時(shí)間才能配送,而且由于店內(nèi)缺貨,訂單送達(dá)時(shí)經(jīng)常缺少商品。有購(gòu)物者投訴,他們沒有收到商品卻被扣費(fèi),但他們聯(lián)系不到該公司的客服代表解決問題。
70歲的卡洛爾·西蒙居住在得克薩斯州福特沃斯。她說自己第一次嘗試了Instacart,因?yàn)樗龘?dān)心自己年紀(jì)大了,而且患有哮喘,現(xiàn)在到外面去太危險(xiǎn)。她從Instacart上訂購(gòu)了15件商品,當(dāng)時(shí)得到的承諾是三天內(nèi)送達(dá)。
她說:“我收到一封電子郵件告訴我:‘您的訂單已經(jīng)送達(dá)?!以谇伴T廊和后門廊什么也沒看到。”
西蒙說,Instacart曾經(jīng)提示她除了一罐V8果汁以外,所有商品全部缺貨,但她卻為這些商品付了錢,而且支付了配送費(fèi)和服務(wù)費(fèi)。她就這筆費(fèi)用向信用卡公司進(jìn)行了投訴。
70歲的格雷斯·斯特勞德也是第一次使用Instacart購(gòu)物,并且也有類似遭遇。她下了一筆180美元的訂單,但沒有收到訂購(gòu)的商品,卻被扣除了圣女果的費(fèi)用以及服務(wù)費(fèi)與配送費(fèi)。
斯特勞德說:“我嘗試過撥打客服電話,但他們說需要等待59分鐘。我剛剛已經(jīng)寫好了這筆費(fèi)用的支票?!?/p>
15000名采購(gòu)員中即使只有部分人參加周一的罷工,也會(huì)影響Instacart的服務(wù)。Instacart員工此前曾經(jīng)組織過一天罷工和其他抗議活動(dòng),敦促公司改善工作條件,例如調(diào)整小費(fèi)政策,要求公司更透明地解釋確定員工工資的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)等,此次罷工將是Instacart員工首次無(wú)限期罷工。
貝恩說,促使他們決定罷工的“最后一根稻草”是Instacart新招聘30萬(wàn)快遞人員的決定。
她說:“這讓人感覺他們好像早已知道我們會(huì)生病,所以他們要找人取代我們。30萬(wàn)人將與我們面臨相同的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。這太可怕了!”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:Biz
Workers at grocery delivery service Instacart plan a strike on Monday to force the company to better protect them against the coronavirus outbreak, setting the stage for a mass disruption of customer orders at a time of soaring growth.
“We’re really trying to light a fire under Instacart’s feet,” said Vanessa Bain, a member of the activist committee organizing the strike. “Our intention is not to bring Instacart’s operations to a grinding halt, but if that’s what it takes to get what we need, then we’ll keep elevating.”
The group, which has access to a network of 15,000 Instacart workers, said they’ve repeatedly asked for Instacart to provide them with personal safety gear, $5 hazard pay for each order, and access to sick pay for at-risk workers and those who have coronavirus symptoms. The workers plan to strike until the company, which they say has largely ignored them, meets their demands.
The strike would take place during one of Instacart’s busiest periods, according to CEO Apoorva Mehta. As the coronavirus spreads across the nation, people are turning to grocery delivery services to prevent them from being exposed to the illness in stores and from having to wait in long checkout lines.
To fill the demand, Instacart is trying to quickly expand its workforce, recently announcing plans to hire 300,000 delivery people.
In response to the threatened strike, Instacart said it's working “proactively” to take “precautionary” measures to operate safely. On Friday, it extended window during which it would provide 14 days of pay to workers who are diagnosed with the virus or placed under mandatory quarantine, from April 8 to May 8. It also announced a bonus of up to $200 for employees, which doesn't include Instacart’s delivery people, bonuses for workers who meet certain thresholds for the number orders they handle, and the ability to deliver alcohol by getting a scanned image of person's ID from a distance instead of a written customer signature.
“The health and safety of our entire community — shoppers, customers, and employees — is our first priority,” the company said in a statement. “We absolutely respect the rights of shoppers to provide us feedback and voice their concerns. It’s a valuable way for us to continuously make improvements to the shopper experience, and we’re committed to supporting this important community during this critical time.”
But Bain says Instacart’s response doesn’t actually address the core problems. Workers cannot receive sick pay unless they have a doctor's note saying they are under mandatory quarantine or have been diagnosed with coronavirus, even though testing is still largely unavailable and many workers don’t have health insurance to cover a doctor’s visit, she said. On top of that, many workers have pre-existing conditions that increase their chances of getting severely ill from the virus, and they are not covered by the current policy. Meanwhile, shoppers still won't have the cleaning supplies they need to disinfect shopping carts or wipe their hands before handing products to customers.
“Customers have a false sense of security from ordering from services that keep them in their homes,” Bain said. “But we know this virus can live on grocery bags.”
And that fear alone is already disrupting Instacart’s service even before the scheduled strike, according to some customers. Many people have to wait a week or longer to get their groceries delivered, and, when they are delivered, some items are often missing due to store shortages. And some shoppers complain that they’re getting charged for items they never receive and can’t get ahold of company representatives to fix the problem.
Carol Symon, a 70-year-old resident in Fort Worth, Tex., said she recently tried Instacart for the first time because she feared her age coupled with her asthma made it too dangerous for her to go out. She ordered 15 items from the service, which promised to deliver in three days.
“I got an email saying, ‘Your order has been delivered,’” she said. “I went outside and there was nothing on the front porch, nothing on the back porch.”
Symon said she was alerted that all the items were out of stock except for a can of V8 juice, for which she was charged along with the delivery and service fees. She’s challenging the charge with her credit card company.
Grace Stroud, also a 70-year-old first time shopper, had a similar experience when she placed a $180 order on Instacart. She didn’t receive her order but was charged for some grape tomatoes along with the service fee and delivery charge.
“I tried to call a number and they said the wait time was 59 minutes,” Stroud said. “At this point, I’ve just written it out of my check book.”
But service is about to get even less reliable if even some of the 15,000 shoppers strike on Monday. This is the first time Instacart workers are striking indefinitely after previously staging one-day walkouts and other protests urging the company to improve working conditions like changing the tip policies and providing more transparency into how their pay is determined.
Bain said the final straw this time was Instacart’s announcement that it was hiring 300,000 new delivery people.
“It felt like they knew we were going to get sick, and they need to replace us,” she said. “Three hundred thousand people will be exposed to the risk we face. That’s’ terrifying.”