Essential Workers Go On Strike. They All Need Our Support.
Last Tuesday hundreds of Amazon workers called in sick in order to carry out the largest protest at the company since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. These protests have been gaining steam since Amazon workers held their first protest and walkout over conditions at Amazon’s Staten Island distribution facility on March 30.
Last Tuesday’s strike comes weeks after Chris Smalls, the Amazon worker in Staten Island who organized the March 30th strike, was fired for organizing the protest over conditions at the warehouse.
On the day of last Tuesday’s strike, Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said:
“Today’s actions show just how dangerous it is to work at Amazon...Workers have been desperately asking that Amazon do more to protect their health and safety at work. But instead of addressing their concerns Amazon has instead lashed out at worker leaders. This must stop. No worker should be subjected to unsafe conditions at work. And no worker should be retaliated against for standing up for their rights. Amazon continues to prioritize maximizing its enormous profits even over its employees’ safety—and that is unacceptable. Enough is enough, Amazon.”
According to an article in CommonDreams, in March, Amazon warehouse workers in Chicago successfully pressured the company to allow seasonal and part-time workers to request paid time off. But in reality, the company has only offered paid sick leave to employees who have tested positive for coronavirus, or who have been forced to quarantine because of confirmed exposure. This policy is likely to result in an exponential increase in cases of coronavirus within Amazon warehouses. This policy also excludes thousands of workers, such as seasonal workers and delivery drivers from recovering paid time off, according to the report.
Another report released last week by Athena and the Center for Popular Democracy states that Amazon warehouse workers are also facing mandatory overtime, which causes overcrowding in the facilities, making it impossible to practice social distancing. Workers are also being forced to meet the same quotas they normally face, forcing them to work quickly, making it difficult to practice hygiene that public health officials recommend, such as frequent hand-washing.
New York Communities for Change posted on Twitter a video featuring Jordan Flowers, a warehouse employee in Queens, New York, who shared why he called in sick last Tuesday.
Flowers stated,
“We are putting our lives at risk, our communities at risk, our families at risk and…our customers at risk...We need Jeff Bezos to close down these warehouses and have us on two weeks paid leave.”
But these workers deserve much more than two weeks paid leave. According to the report by Athena,
“Amazon workers are facing a childcare crisis as they balance getting paid and caring for their families,”
At a minimum, Amazon must guarantee paid time off for all of its employees for as long as this pandemic continues, especially as schools are closed, leaving poor & working class parents with nowhere to turn for childcare as they’re forced out to work just so they’re able to pay the bills while this pandemic rages on.
Workers have been pleading for Amazon to listen to their demands, but the retail giant has only responded with animosity towards the very workers who give the corporation its value. Amazon CEO and owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, is the richest person in the world, and is getting richer as the world is being forced to rely more on Amazon during the global shutdowns that have come as a response to coronavirus.
According to a report in Forbes, last week the value of Amazon’s stock increased, which raised his net worth by almost 5 percent in a day, to an estimated $6.4 billion. And as of April 20, Bezos’ net worth was $144.2 billion, according to Forbes. Amazon can certainly afford to make changes it’s workers are demanding, they’re just choosing to prioritize profits above the health and safety of their workers.
These nationwide protests following the strikes at Amazon fulfillment centers in Queens, Staten Island, and Detroit, makes it look increasingly likely that there’s a growing movement towards a general strike led by frontline workers. Workers at Whole Foods, Instacart, and numerous other companies across the country have also staged walkouts in recent weeks.
These workers that are on the frontlines guaranteeing that our society continues to function deserve all of our support. The spouse of Chris Smalls, the Amazon worker who was fired for organizing the March 30th strike in Statin Island has said,
“My husband is out there working for all of us...I hope that the people who are at home are ready to stand up for him and ask the government, and ask Amazon to protect these workers.”
In order to do your part to support these workers, you can temporarily stop ordering nonessential items and urge Amazon to stop shipping them. According to a report, despite Amazon’s public statement that it is prioritizing essential items, workers say they are still packing and shipping nonessential items such as dolls, dog brushes, video games, and rhinestones.
NOTE: Join the informational call on Wednesday, April 29 at 7:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Pacific to learn how to participate in and support #GeneralStrike2020. Register at bit.ly/MayDayMeeting.