AMAZON PHOENIX, AZ (NOT CAMPERFORCE)
Another winter, another year working at a Amazon Fulfillment Center (FC). This year we have a little twist, then the past years. This Peak season we are working in Phoenix, AZ as a regular temp hires with Integrity Staffing Solutions .In the past we worked for Amazon in the Camper Force program. There are Amazon warehouses all across America and instead of traveling across the Country to work, why not look into a warehouse in our own snowbird backyard? We applied for job opening on 11 Sep and by 5 Oct we received a call letting us know we were hired.
Before I go into too much of our experiences in the Phoenix warehouse the work in an Amazon warehouse is the same no matter the location. Not much more I can say; if you worked in one, it will pretty much be the same at the next. Except for one detail I have noticed. On Mandatory Over Time (MOT) where you are required to work 60 hour weeks all the other warehouse were 12 hour shift for five day. In Phoenix it's 10 hour shifts for six days. Not much off time to get groceries and do laundry all in one day before heading back into work.
We agreed to the assignment for the position of day shift ICQA. When we arrived on 28 Oct we were assigned to Stowing position, needless to say we were upset and quit on the spot. The next day we called for a new position and again we got agreed to ICQA this time on the night shift. Again, when we arrived we were changed to stowing. This time even though it was not the assignment we did not agree to, at least it was a night shift with slightly higher wage so we stayed. We are working night shift Wednesday thru Saturday (MOT Tuesday - Sunday) 6:00pm - 4:30am.
Integrity Staffing Solutions (ISS) is a hiring agency and I don't have a lot good things to say about them. First, the interview process they lied. Telling us we would work only 30 hours (3 days) the first week to get use to the shift and work load. WRONG, we put in 47 hours (5 days) and had overtime in the first week. Second, MOT would be only one day a week and 12 hour shift. WRONG, its two days on Sunday and Tuesday on 10 hour shifts. Arizona is a tax state, meaning I have to pay Arizona city and state taxes even though I'm not a residence of Arizona. Arizona tax is cheaper than Ohio meaning I will have to pay out of pocket the difference. Not to mention I now have to fill for two State and two City taxes in 2018. The way we have been treated as employees of ISS is the worst. We are going to fight though our eight weeks and on 23 Dec we are done with Peak and ISS.
I just wanted to show some of the differences between CamperForce and ISS.
Benefit CamprForce ISS
Direct hire with Amazon Yes No
Free campsite Yes No
Paid time off (5 hrs) earned after 350 hrs Not offered
Bonus (Complete assignment) 1 hour = $1 Not offered
Agreed assignment, Yes No
Assignment work
Work commitment 23 Dec 1,500 hrs
(gone before X-Mas)
First week Hour work 25-30 hrs 47 hrs
Free T-shit and swag Yes No
Communication with Ambassador 5 ***** 1*
Max work performance rate 85% (no write up) 100% (or write up)
MOT 60 hr weeks 50 hrs 60 hrs
and the list goes on.... always favoring CamperForce over ISS.
Needless to say, we are never going to work for ISS or any hiring agencies again. We are sticking with direct hire through CamperForce in the years to come. CamperForce 2018 job opening come out in late December early January and we are putting our name in for Murfreesboro, TN.
Lastly, if you're going to applying for CamperForce for the first time this year because of the advice and information I've shared about the program over the years on this BLOG, Id be one happy camper if you'd list me under "How did you hear about this opportunity" field on the application (Russell Bennett).
The past few springs I have volunteered at MLB spring training complexes, This spring I will try and work to make some money. I have submitted a few applications for MLB spring training job. If I get hired for any of them, I'll post on how I found the job, how I got hired and how was the over all experience.
Before I go into too much of our experiences in the Phoenix warehouse the work in an Amazon warehouse is the same no matter the location. Not much more I can say; if you worked in one, it will pretty much be the same at the next. Except for one detail I have noticed. On Mandatory Over Time (MOT) where you are required to work 60 hour weeks all the other warehouse were 12 hour shift for five day. In Phoenix it's 10 hour shifts for six days. Not much off time to get groceries and do laundry all in one day before heading back into work.
We agreed to the assignment for the position of day shift ICQA. When we arrived on 28 Oct we were assigned to Stowing position, needless to say we were upset and quit on the spot. The next day we called for a new position and again we got agreed to ICQA this time on the night shift. Again, when we arrived we were changed to stowing. This time even though it was not the assignment we did not agree to, at least it was a night shift with slightly higher wage so we stayed. We are working night shift Wednesday thru Saturday (MOT Tuesday - Sunday) 6:00pm - 4:30am.
Integrity Staffing Solutions (ISS) is a hiring agency and I don't have a lot good things to say about them. First, the interview process they lied. Telling us we would work only 30 hours (3 days) the first week to get use to the shift and work load. WRONG, we put in 47 hours (5 days) and had overtime in the first week. Second, MOT would be only one day a week and 12 hour shift. WRONG, its two days on Sunday and Tuesday on 10 hour shifts. Arizona is a tax state, meaning I have to pay Arizona city and state taxes even though I'm not a residence of Arizona. Arizona tax is cheaper than Ohio meaning I will have to pay out of pocket the difference. Not to mention I now have to fill for two State and two City taxes in 2018. The way we have been treated as employees of ISS is the worst. We are going to fight though our eight weeks and on 23 Dec we are done with Peak and ISS.
I just wanted to show some of the differences between CamperForce and ISS.
Benefit CamprForce ISS
Direct hire with Amazon Yes No
Free campsite Yes No
Paid time off (5 hrs) earned after 350 hrs Not offered
Bonus (Complete assignment) 1 hour = $1 Not offered
Agreed assignment, Yes No
Assignment work
Work commitment 23 Dec 1,500 hrs
(gone before X-Mas)
First week Hour work 25-30 hrs 47 hrs
Free T-shit and swag Yes No
Communication with Ambassador 5 ***** 1*
Max work performance rate 85% (no write up) 100% (or write up)
MOT 60 hr weeks 50 hrs 60 hrs
and the list goes on.... always favoring CamperForce over ISS.
Needless to say, we are never going to work for ISS or any hiring agencies again. We are sticking with direct hire through CamperForce in the years to come. CamperForce 2018 job opening come out in late December early January and we are putting our name in for Murfreesboro, TN.
Lastly, if you're going to applying for CamperForce for the first time this year because of the advice and information I've shared about the program over the years on this BLOG, Id be one happy camper if you'd list me under "How did you hear about this opportunity" field on the application (Russell Bennett).
The past few springs I have volunteered at MLB spring training complexes, This spring I will try and work to make some money. I have submitted a few applications for MLB spring training job. If I get hired for any of them, I'll post on how I found the job, how I got hired and how was the over all experience.
