Ch. 8 Space/Time

Time equals money--the notion that the quality of work you produce is no longer what gets you paid. It's the amount of time you take out of your daily life to help sell over-priced Urban Outfitter's shirts and pants. I may not make the clothing that I help sell at Express 5 days a week, but I spend 4-6 hours running around and folding things, and getting people the sizes that they need. I get paid more to do that than the people over in some foreign country get paid to make the stuff. If quality equaled money, how much money would any of us be making? How many people actually make products for a living? These days, the only real product sold is service, and that's where quality comes into play. Who cares if you sell the shittiest product ever--if you do it right, you keep your job. So, I think it is pretty obvious that in our capitalist society it is definitely not about the product anymore. The value of consumer goods has been lost- We have a dress at Express that is about 60 dollars, and Forever 21 apparently has practically a duplicate dress for 25.
I'm not quite sure what "the politics of the shop floor--speed ups and slowdowns" means, but I'll take a stab at it- the busiest times of a day being the most important? In that case, Saturdays (time) at Express on the magnificent mile (space) definitely mean money, especially from about 3-8 pm. So of course, that is going to be the time that the most employees are working on the floor, getting those products out to people. "You guys need to be getting these customers to spend at least $80 each and we'll get our goal.." I would hear my boss say on my walkie. Today is Sunday, and I was supposed to go into work but I got called and told I didn't need to come in. Sunday isn't a "peak" day, so my service wasn't needed. I think companies try to avoid worker compensation at all costs- teaching safety to its employees and trying to keep them from getting hurt (and having to pay for it).