Saturday, December 9, 2023

Amazon Workers, More Or Less Nationwide -- Albeit In Patchwork Fashion -- Staged A Mid-Shift Walk-Out Today.


With the busy holiday season's deliveries still sitting in bins today, many Amazon team members staged a one day walk out, mid-shift -- to decry the alleged union busting tactics the company has renewed in the last few weeks. [Backgrounders here -- or search "Amazon" in the box above left, for dozens more.]

The report below relates to the Queens, New York facility -- where tensions have been high, after last week's ALJ decision finding that Amazon violated labor laws in the JFK8 facility. [That JFK8 ALJ decision has been sent to the full NLRB for final orders, this week.]

So the labor difficulties continue -- in the way the company abuses its lowest rung employees, with the allegation that the company traps them in a "poverty cycle", here in the US, by paying differential wages, depending on geography. Here's a bit, from the local NYC ABC affiliate:

. . .The employees at the Maspeth [Queens] facility joined a nationwide movement of Amazon workers to strike against the company's union busting practices and for better working conditions.

Workers say they've seen retaliation from the online retail giant against union organizing, including the suspension of one of their union activists collecting petition signatures.

They are demanding starting pay at $26 an hour and $2 hourly bonuses during peak season, along with adequate staffing, recognition of third-party delivery drivers as Amazon employees, and winter clothing for delivery drivers.

Maspeth workers held a press conference Saturday morning to announce the move. . . .


Now you know -- we will likely have two more Amazon items this month. Onward -- but it is clear that the days of labor power via unions. . . are on the ascent, and across many industries, tonight. . . smiling.

नमस्ते

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