Amazon spends $1 billion to increase pay and lower health care costs for US workers

By ANNE D INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK AP Amazon says it s making a billion stake to raise wages and lower the cost of robustness care plans for its U S fulfillment and transportation workers Related Articles King Soopers to open new Marketplace store in Louisville Tariffs bird flu and severe weather are pushing specific everyday groceries to record prices Denver Water drops bid to acquire properties near Burnham Yard Jerry quits Ben Jerry s saying its independence on social issues has been stifled Amid bankruptcy a few Publishers Clearing House winners are facing the end of forever prizes The Seattle-based company stated Wednesday the average pay is increasing to more than per hour and noted that chosen of its the majority tenured employees will see an increase between and per hour Full-time employees on average will see their pay increase by per year Amazon also revealed it was lowering the cost of its entry physical condition care plan to per week and for co-pays starting next year Amazon commented that will reduce weekly contributions by and co-pays by for primary care mental wellness and most of non-specialist visits for employees using the basic plan Amazon has a global workforce of million workers Last December seven Amazon facilities went on strike an effort by the Teamsters union to pressure the e-commerce company for a labor agreement during a key shopping period That same month Amazon reached a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Physical condition Administration that requires the online behemoth to adopt corporatewide ergonomic measures at facilities across the country The agency claimed hazardous working conditions led to serious lower back and other musculoskeletal disorders at Amazon facilities In January Walmart the nation s largest private employer stated that average wages for hourly workers would exceed up from The increase was due to Walmart introducing particular higher-paying hourly roles in its Auto Care Centers last year among other changes the company announced Walmart had declared in January that U S workers would get pay raises the following month increasing starting wages to between and an hour Starting wages had previously ranged between and an hour depending on location