Things are not looking too good for Amazon right now. The e-commerce giant that made its CEO Jeff Bezos the world’s richest man is facing its second labor strike in Staten Island, reported the New York Post.
Workers complained that more than 25 of their warehouse colleagues have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Post reported. They planned to walk off the job at noon Monday to protest what they call unsafe working conditions.
“Workers are asking for a cohesive plan that protects them and the health of the public,” according to the advisory.
This latest strike comes exactly a week after over 100 workers in the same city walked off the job demanding the company shut down the warehouse and sanitize it properly after a fellow employee tested positive for coronavirus.
They also asked for paid time off, which – despite its years of record-breaking earnings which they do not pay taxes on – Amazon does not offer to hourly workers.
Amazon fired former management assistant Christian Smalls, 31, who organized the first strike. While Amazon said Smalls was let go for “violating social distancing guidelines” after multiple warnings, the father of three said it was retaliation.
“We all know this is retaliation. There’s no way around it. I took a huge stand, put my career on the line and I don’t regret it,” Smalls told ABC News. “I don’t know how they even sleep at night for doing that.”
New York Attorney General (AG) Leitita James and Mayor Bill de Blasio have asked its human rights commissioner to launch an investigation into Smalls’ firing, reported the New York Times.
James said her office was “considering all legal options” against amazon in a statement.
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“It is disgraceful that Amazon would terminate an employee who bravely stood up to protect himself and his colleagues. At the height of a global pandemic, Chris Smalls and his colleagues publicly protested the lack of precautions that Amazon was taking to protect them from COVID-19,” James’ statement said. “At a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling and are deeply concerned about their safety, this action was also immoral and inhumane.”
Over 40 public officials in New York joined James and de Blasio in decrying Amazon’s handling of the situation. They sent a letter to Bezos demanding Smalls be rehired.
“We write in support of your own workers calling for you to CLOSE Amazon warehouses until you put into place real solutions — with independent monitors — to protect your workers and the public in this moment of public health crisis,”
In a leaked memo, of notes from a meeting, Amazon’s General Counsel David Zapolsky insulted Smalls’ intelligence and said his lack of it could be helpful in their PR strategy, Vice News reported.
“He’s not smart, or articulate, and to the extent, the press wants to focus on us versus him, we will be in a much stronger PR position than simply explaining for the umpteenth time how we’re trying to protect workers,” Zapolsky’ wrote. “Make him the most interesting part of the story, and if possible make him the face of the entire union/organizing movement.”
Amazon Spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said the company is doing all they can to protect workers.
“Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable,” Amazon spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said. “We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances.”
Smalls disagrees, saying the company wasn’t being transparent or putting health and safety first.
“Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us, our families, and our communities safe,” Smalls said in a statement. “I am outraged and disappointed but I’m not shocked. As usual, Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe.”
