Not defending Amazon, but for the record: the majority of the packages at my station are delivered by 'DSP' employees -- the FedEx ground model. We don't drive our own cars. Recently my DSP changed payroll, an across-the-board dictate from Amazon. $15/hr, OT never less than $23.11 (sometimes it's $24 and change, unbelievably). Then bonuses for no mis-deliveries, rescues, and 'productivity'. My DSP pays $20 every time I'm tasked with rescuing another driver. Not a bad deal since we only have to take 20-25 stops. Pretty sure my contractor pockets a healthy chunk of the first bonus, because we get it on 2 conditions: the entire DSP must meet the weekly quota and you cannot have had a single mis-delivery that week. I haven't had a mis-delivery in 4 weeks but have only received a $50 bonus for 2 of those weeks.
After 60 days my DSP offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, for driver's families too. Ofc since no Teamsters we have to pay for them and the plans are mediocre, but I guess it beats nothing, ha ... the individual plans aren't too expensive. They pay my life insurance policy. We also begin accruing PTO after 60 days ... I think 2 weeks. My gross, including OT, averages about $17.50/hr. Again, mediocre, but at least I don't need to set aside 1/3 of that for destroying my own car. 30 minute lunches are mandatory (unpaid) and I get 2 paid 15s. I take my breaks, but most drivers donate an hour of their time to the company every shift.
And, just like FXG, Amazon has the power to both hire and fire us, e.g., the DSP that cuts our checks has no say. But the courts will scratch their heads and not find enough evidence to determine that Amazon is a co-employer, ha.