HAMBURG, N.Y. — It's the end of the line in Hamburg, making it a good thing for Amazon and its customers. They call it the "Last Mile." It is the last stop for a package before it lands on your doorstep.
Amazon's new 183,623-square-foot delivery station is open along with more than 100 new part-time and a few full-time jobs. That was part of the deal Amazon made with the Hamburg IDA to win nearly seven million dollars in tax breaks.
"This is a deal that didn't age well," says Hamburg's Town Supervisor Randy Hoak. He continues, "If we're investing $7 million, we want good jobs. We want good jobs that people can afford to live in the community in which they work."
Hoak says he wants those positions to be full-time and pay more than $15 an hour, which was the pay negotiated in the original deal. He says that will allow folks to start lives alone without needing extra help. Amazon told 2 On Your Side that it's currently hiring some people at $19 an hour.
"That may not be a brand new or single-family house at an entry-level job. They should at least be able to enjoy some proximity to their place of employment, whether it's an apartment or duplex," Hoak says.
Amazon opened a hiring center on Broadway Street last month. It's part of a nationwide push to hire 250,000 people for the holiday season. They're paying $20.50 an hour. But when the season is finished, Hoak believes Amazon will need to hire more workers in Hamburg.
"Our fast-food restaurants in Hamburg are not able to employ part-time workers at $15 an hour," says Hoak.
He says people at Tim Horton's get paid more, and they have a hard time hiring. Hoak says Amazon has until March next year to meet all the requirements covered in the IDA deal. He's optimistic the company will follow through.
"It looks like they're considering more full-time employment than they had previously considered. So I'm optimistic that they'll be able to reach their numbers. I'm optimistic that the labor market is going to demand higher wages than they initially proposed. So, I think it'll be good business for Amazon to pay more than $15 an hour.