Amazon Prime Day strike could be a turning point for workers' rights



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In 2016, the distribution center in Shakopee opened and Amazon strongly recruited from the surrounding East African Muslim immigrant population of the time. In a report from last year, the New York Times tells how a worker named Hibaq Mohamed asked for prayer breaks. Although they were granted according to the law in force, she had nevertheless to respect her daily quota of packing of 230 articles at the hour despite the reduced time. But instead of standing idly by, she and a group of workers organized themselves to complain. They were one of the first groups of workers in the country to oppose Amazon and eventually to participate in negotiations.

US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "data-caption =" Protesters arrive at a demonstration at the Amazon Order Processing Center in Shakopee, Minnesota, on December 14, 2018. - A group of workers from the 39 Amazon, Minnesota, Somali refugee refugees resettled in the Midwest The US state has demanded better working conditions at a protest outside one of the retailer's warehouses. Dozens of people braved the icy temperatures to protest outside the Amazon warehouse in Shakopee, a suburb of Minneapolis, home to a large Somali immigrant population among which Amazon has heavily recruited. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP) (The photo credit should read: KEREM YUCEL / AFP / Getty Images) "data-credit =" KEREM YUCEL via Getty Images "data-credit-link-back =" "data- dam-provider = "Getty Editorial" data-media-id = "6713e17a-7145-384e-b891-9cae92321432" data-original-url = "https: / /s.yimg. com / os / creatr-images / 2018-12 / 225f3f50-02e3-11e9-bfdb-88d43b9d8493 "data-title =" US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "src =" https://o.aolcdn.com/images/ dims? crop = 5184% 2C3455% 2C0% 2C0 & quality = 85 & format = jpg & resize = 1600% 2C1067 & image_uri = https% 3A% 2F% 2Fs.yimg.com% 2Fos% 2Fcreatr-images% 2F2018-12% 2F225- 113 - 3 88d43b9d8493 & customer = a1acac3e1b3290917d92 & signature = 6ba473eee454a885196b35768f1f1337978f66f5 "/></p>
<p>It was just the beginning. When Amazon canceled a suburban bus in an area of ​​Minneapolis, some petitioned to restore it. When the First Day fell during Ramadan, workers asked for a lighter workload to adapt to their fasting schedule. The group also received help from the Awood Center, a nonprofit organization that aims to help workers in East Africa. The Awood Center helped organize and educate them on workers' rights.</p>
<p>"Problems like these will come up and people will react," William Stolz, a worker at Amazon's Shakopee warehouse, told Engadget. Stolz is one of the workers organizing the upcoming strike on Day One. He is a "picker" and his job is to pick up an item, put it in a bag, which ends up being packed. He must choose at least 320 items at the hour to reach his quota. "However, I usually have to go faster than that, just to make sure I do enough to make my numbers good for the week," he said. "It's like digitizing as an item every eight seconds."</p>
<p>In September and last October, the group finally had two important meetings with the management of Amazon. They worried about the speed of work, the physical and mental problems they face on a daily basis, and the assurance that society takes safety and injury seriously. "Basically, we just wanted job security," Stolz said. After a month, Amazon's management had returned to them without committing to substantial changes. He offered some compromises, for example to force a general director and a Somali-speaking director to agree on the layoffs. But the group found that insufficient.</p>
<p style=US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "data-caption =" Protesters shout slogans and hold placards during a protest at the Amazon distribution center in Shakopee, Minnesota, on December 14, 2018. - A group of Amazon workers in Minnesota, refugees in Somalia resettled in the Midwestern United States have demanded better working conditions at a protest outside one of the country's warehouses. retailer. Dozens of people braved the icy temperatures to protest outside the Amazon warehouse in Shakopee, a suburb of Minneapolis, home to a large Somali immigrant population among which Amazon has heavily recruited. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP) (The photo credit should read: KEREM YUCEL / AFP / Getty Images) "data-credit =" KEREM YUCEL via Getty Images "data-credit-link-back =" "data- dam-provider = "Getty Editorial" data-local-id = "local-2-7993228-1563010442702" data-media-id = "62424102-7f45-3e4f-8a2e-e61795c80b8a" data-original-url = "https: / /s.yimim. com / os / creatr-images / 2018-12 / 2742c5f0-02e3-11e9-9fdf-9422a541c58a "data-title =" US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "src =" https://o.aolcdn.com/images/ dims? crop = 3971% 2C2647% 2C0% 2C0 & quality = 85 & format = jpg & resize = 1600% 2C1067 & image_uri = https% 3A% 2F% 2Fs.yimg.com% 2Fos% 2Fcreatr-images% 2F2018-12% 2F2742c5f0- 02e9-9f 9422a541c58a & customer = a1acac3e1b3290917d92 & signature = f7c2fe85caba2b21d60e9614fdce0e16e0fe2dd0 "/></p>
<p>This is not the first time Amazon faces charges of inappropriate working conditions. A 2015 <i>New York Times</i> exposed has described Amazon as a "bruised work place". Several reports have claimed that jobs in Amazon warehouses are exhausting and extremely stressful, both physically and mentally, due to ever-increasing demand. The journalist James Bloodworth wrote that workers pee in bottles to avoid taking breaks in the toilet. A <i>Edge</i> The report revealed that "hundreds" of workers at a Baltimore facility had been fired for failing to reach productivity levels. Amazon, for its part, denied many of this information, claiming that it was a "fair and responsible employer".</p>
<p>Yet thousands of European workers have already gone on strike to protest the increase in the number of hours of work, reduced premiums and an unhealthy work environment. This has not really been the case in the United States – Amazon workers in Europe are unionized, not American workers – but Shakopee workers could help change things.</p>
<p>With the help of the Awood Center, they organized their first big event in December. It has attracted hundreds of people, including the representative of Minnesotan, Ilhan Omar, the first American-Somali elected to Congress. "Amazon does not work if you do not work," she told a jubilant crowd, according to a <i>Gizmodo</i> report.</p>
<p>"It was super powerful," said Stolz. "We were really very proud of the action we conducted that day."</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Amazon has not yet responded to the group's desire. The company has offered some concessions, such as more spaces for prayer and air conditioning. But a lot of Amazon shares have sounded hollow. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, for example, donated $ 2.5 million to a nonprofit organization in Minneapolis to help homeless individuals and families in the days leading up to the rally. of December. The Somali community appreciated the donation, but it was not the purpose of the event. "They give all these gifts, but they do not take into account the real problems we raised in the warehouse," said Stolz.</p>
<p style=US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "data-caption =" Protesters shout slogans and hold placards during a protest at the Amazon distribution center in Shakopee, Minnesota, on December 14, 2018. - A group of Amazon workers in Minnesota, refugees in Somalia resettled in the Midwestern United States have demanded better working conditions at a protest outside one of the country's warehouses. retailer. Dozens of people braved the icy temperatures to protest outside the Amazon warehouse in Shakopee, a suburb of Minneapolis, home to a large Somali immigrant population among which Amazon has heavily recruited. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP) (The photo credit should read: KEREM YUCEL / AFP / Getty Images) "data-credit =" KEREM YUCEL via Getty Images "data-credit-link-back =" "data- data-media-id = "98af5909-d06b-3d5a-a607-b96bb1031fcc" data-original-url = "https: / /s.yimg. com / os / creatr-images / 2018-12 / 23bd96d0-02e3-11e9-bfdf-f79fec349b2d "data-title =" US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "src =" https://o.aolcdn.com/images/ dims? crop = 5184% 2C3455% 2C0% 2C0 & quality = 85 & format = jpg & resize = 1600% 2C1067 & image_uri = https% 3A% 2F% 2Fs.yimg.com% 2Fos% 2Fcreatr-images% 2F2018-12% 2F23bd96d0- 02e f79fec349b2d & customer = a1acac3e1b3290917d92 & signature = eb59ef324ae1ef3afa6beb65e3ada905d5531749 "/></p>
<p>A group of 30 workers from the docking department organized another demonstration three hours later in March, partly to demand lesser standards for those who made mistakes. The solution of Amazon? The most recent machines can reduce the risk of errors, but they do not really respond to workers' concerns either.</p>
<p>Thus, with the arrival of Prime Day, the group decided that this was the perfect opportunity to voice their concerns, taking much stronger action than in December. Today, the Shakopee warehouse will hold a six-hour strike: day workers will leave the last three hours of their shift and night workers will stay out of the first three hours.</p>
<p>"People ask questions like," Why do not you do it all day, "because Amazon has a weekly holiday system that automatically deducts unpaid hours, as if you had to leave early to visit your grandmother, "said Stolz. It seems that Amazon considers these hours of protest as part of the "unpaid time" – it was deducted from the protesters of March – which could be problematic. Amazon workers receive 20 hours of unpaid work every three months (up to 80 hours maximum). If their amount is less than this amount, they are dismissed.</p>
<p>And that may very well be illegal. As Charlotte Garden, a professor of law at Seattle University, says, <i>Bloomberg</i>"It's a violation of labor law when an employer punishes workers for a strike, and one way to punish workers for a strike is to take some of their leave."</p>
<p style=US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON

As for what workers want, it's the same: less pressure. "Our biggest demand is to ask Amazon to reduce the speed of work," said Stolz. "It's physically and mentally exhausting. This brings us to other problems such as injuries, because you have to do things very fast and with repetitive movements all day long. "

There is also the issue of job security. Not only because these types of work are not the ones that people can do for long periods of time, but also because Amazon outsourced them. "By 2019, all new hires in the building resorted to temporary rather than direct hiring," Stolz said. "Temporary workers do exactly the same job as us, but they do not have the same job security." Times, he said, are often demoralized and they are told things like, "You are replaceable." This creates a second class of workers, "he added.

When Stolz asked a member of Amazon's training department, responsible for training new employees, to understand why Amazon was only hiring temps, he received a rather scary answer. "His exact words were" increase the business figure in the building, "said Stolz." Can you believe that? My eyes widened, I was so surprised. The person started to rephrase and go back and said that it was to "give energy back to the building". Well. Of course."

Amazon said Bloomberg About 90% of Shakopee employees are full-time employees and some temporary employees are promoted to staff. Still, Stolz said they should just delete the temporary part. "Let people come as regular workers," he said.

US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "data-caption =" Protesters shout slogans and hold placards during a protest at the Amazon distribution center in Shakopee, Minnesota, on December 14, 2018. - A group of Amazon workers in Minnesota, refugees in Somalia resettled in the Midwestern United States have demanded better working conditions at a protest outside one of the country's warehouses. retailer. Dozens of people braved the icy temperatures to protest outside the Amazon warehouse in Shakopee, a suburb of Minneapolis, home to a large Somali immigrant population among which Amazon has heavily recruited. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP) (The photo credit should read: KEREM YUCEL / AFP / Getty Images) "data-credit =" KEREM YUCEL via Getty Images "data-credit-link-back =" "data- dam-provider = "Getty Editorial" data-local-id = "local-5-2964740-1563010633164" data-media-id = "3f49b947-9adb-32a4-a622-a92dfa126040" data-original-url = "https: / /s.yimg. com / os / creatr-images / 2019-07 / c62fb4a0-a551-11e9-bebb-610bcf058264 "data-title =" US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "src =" https://o.aolcdn.com/images/ dims? crop = 5039% 2C3359% 2C0% 2C0 & quality = 85 & format = jpg & resize = 1600% 2C1067 & image_uri = https% 3A% 2F% 2Fs.yimg.com% 2Fos% 2Fcreatr-images% 2F2019-07% 2Fc62fb4a0. 610bcf058264 & customer = a1acac3e1b3290917d92 & signature = 3bbb59fedc06557bb0187e67e9f95aaf628f39cd "/></p>
<p>In response to the imminent strike by Prime Day workers, Amazon said what it already offers workers: "We offer excellent job opportunities with excellent pay – from $ 16.25 to $ 20.80. time, as well as comprehensive benefits, including health care, up to 20 weeks of parental leave, paid education, promotional opportunities and more. "He also encouraged the public to visit his facilities for free.</p>
<p>Some of these changes, however, only came about when Amazon was criticized by politicians such as the Vermont senator and presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, whose act "Stop BEZOS" prompted the company to raise his minimum wage to $ 15 at the hour. Which sounds good, but in doing so, Amazon has withdrawn the monthly bonuses to employees and stopped allocating new share awards to employees. Some say that this actually leads to <i>less</i> pay globally.</p>
<p>With regard to the open invitation to visit order processing centers, Stolz said that this seemed to be a way to influence public opinion. "I think they realize that they are drawing negative attention to some of the negative things that they do," he said. "But I would just like to ask the general public if they think that an Amazonian worker is better placed to talk about working conditions in his workplace than Amazon's tourist guide."</p>
<p>In fact, a single warehouse strike will probably not affect Amazon's bottom line much, even if it happens on Day One. But that indicates a much bigger shift in the way Amazon workers across the country are trying to organize for a better workplace. Some workers at the Staten Island warehouse are trying to unionize, as are Whole Foods employees. While Amazon is introducing more automation and trying to retrain its staff, the need to negotiate better working conditions could be more important than ever.</p>
<p style=US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "data-caption =" Protesters shout slogans and hold placards during a protest at the Amazon distribution center in Shakopee, Minnesota, on December 14, 2018. - A group of Amazon workers in Minnesota, refugees in Somalia resettled in the Midwestern United States have demanded better working conditions at a protest outside one of the country's warehouses. retailer. Dozens of people braved the icy temperatures to protest outside the Amazon warehouse in Shakopee, a suburb of Minneapolis, home to a large Somali immigrant population among which Amazon has heavily recruited. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP) (The photo credit should read: KEREM YUCEL / AFP / Getty Images) "data-credit =" KEREM YUCEL via Getty Images "data-credit-link-back =" "data- dam-provider = "Getty Editorial" data-local-id = "local-6-1461581-1563010675896" "data-media-id =" a29ee873-46b4-35b6-b37a-0c94e3473f5b "data-original-url =" https: //s.yimg.com/ os / creatr-images / 2018-12 / 303f3030-02e3-11e9-af6d-4a64a46790df "data-title =" US-LABOR-PROTEST-AMAZON "src =" https: // o. aolcdn.com/images/simms?culture=5184% 2C3455% 2C0% 2C0 & quality = 85 & format = jpg & resize = 1600% 2C1067 & image_uri = https% 3A% 2F% 2Fs.yimg.com% 2Fos% 2Fcreatr- images% 2F2018-12% 2F303f30-02303e 4a64a46790df & customer = a1acac3e1b3290917d92 & signature = 999da1842c49ed410ae490a12198e081696e2c58 "/></p>
<p>Several Seattle-based Amazon engineers, part of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, plan to participate in the solidarity strike. In a statement to Engadget, the group said: "Supporting our colleagues at MN is a natural part of our climate justice agenda – we can not create a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling the climate crisis without addressing the structural racial and structural problems, the economic inequalities that are part of our extraction system – energy, materials and human labor – that caused the crisis. "</p>
<p>The group also wrote an article on the media containing numerous messages of support from fellow technicians about the situation in Minnesota. They include: "CF treatment [fulfillment center] the workers are a source of shame for me as an employee of Amazon "," When Jeff Bezos is worth more than 100 billion dollars, it is totally unfair to work in poor conditions "and" The requirements Absolute minimums must be a safe workplace and one of the most valuable companies in the world, Amazon should also offer fair opportunities for promotion and full time work. "Many quotes are anonymous, but a lot of them are not, which shows that Amazon employees are not afraid to comment."</p>
<p>"Workers are demanding safe and reliable jobs, respect at the workplace in order to be promoted and an end to retaliation," said Josh Keller of the SEIU State Council of Minnesota, who said: is expressed on behalf of the Awood Center in Engadget. . "Workers have often said," We are human beings, not robots, "which sums up the fact that they want to be respected and treated in a way that pays tribute to their hard work and the wealth that They bring to Amazon. "</p>
<p>"Amazon is one of the richest companies in the world," Keller continued. "They can and should do better than being" competitive. "They should lead, which means respecting their workers and sitting down to make sure these jobs are safe and where people can stay and stay. develop. "</p>
<p><span class=Pictures: KEREM YUCEL / AFP / Getty Images (All Photos)

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