Price competition in ecommerce is as fierce, if not fiercer, as in any other retail industry. Those low prices and free shipping don't just happen, however, and in many cases come from increased "efficiency" at shipping warehouses around the US. Mac McClelland from Mother Jones spent a week working as just such a warehouse, for "Amalgamated Product Giant Shipping Worldwide Inc.," surely a reference to Amazon though McClelland never explicitly says so. The balance of power between employees and managers is tipped from the beginning by extensive use of temp agencies, and of course it's made worse by the difficult job market. Add in what seem to be very high daily quotas, short breaks, long days, and uncomfortable, static-shock-filled days and it's clearly not the sort of job to aspire to. Read the whole story at the source link below.