Workers at Amazon’s San Bernardino air hub walked off the job and picketed outside their workplace Sunday, July 21, in what organizers called a protest over the online retailer’s unfair labor practices.
The one-day strike stems from retaliation workers said they have faced for union organizing, according to a news release sent by a public relations firm on behalf of the striking workers.
“We’re on strike to send a message to Amazon: Treat your workers with the respect and dignity we deserve,” Anna Ortega, a worker at the facility, said in a news release.
“Amazon is one of the most profitable companies in the world, but it consistently treats its workers like trash. We are standing up for our right to organize and to fight for a better future at Amazon.”
The release quoted Randy Korgan, director of the Teamsters Amazon Division, as saying: “The workers now on strike have the full support of more than a million Teamsters nationwide. Amazon has no respect for the well-being of the workers who make its profits possible, and San Bernardino workers have sent a clear message to these corporate criminals that they’ve had enough.”
The strike was timed “to cause major disruptions for the company as workers continue to fulfill orders for Prime Day,” the release. Prime Day, which took place Tuesday, July 16, and Wednesday, July 17, is a major sales event for Amazon.
In an emailed statement, Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said: ““This activity was initiated and attended by mostly outside organizers and individuals who don’t work for Amazon – and had no impact on our operations or ability to deliver for customers.”
“Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union. They always have,” Hards said. “We favor opportunities for each person to be respected and valued as an individual, and to have their unique voice heard by working directly with our team.”
Hards added: “The fact is, Amazon already offers what many unions are requesting: safe and inclusive workplaces, competitive pay, benefits on day one and opportunities for career growth. We look forward to working directly with our employees to continue making Amazon a great place to work.”
Located at San Bernardino International Airport, the air hub is a part of Amazon’s extensive network of Inland Empire logistics facilities.
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Working with the Teamsters, a group of workers have called attention to what they describe as the company’s pattern of mistreatment toward its employees. Past walkouts centered on worker complaints about wages and safety, with workers saying they risk their health to meet production quotas in sweltering temperatures.
Amazon, which denies using a quota system, argues it’s taken a number of steps to cool down workers. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined Amazon in January regarding temperatures inside the air hub.
In June, state officials announced roughly $6 million in fines against Amazon and alleged it did not tell workers about a law intended to stop abusive production quotas. Amazon disputes the allegations and is appealing the fines.
Air hub workers also accuse Amazon of withholding overtime pay they’re owed because the company failed to give them required rest breaks.
