San Francisco: Amazon warehouse employees working night shifts staged a walkout in two states in the US, quitting work and demanding a $3 raise.
The roughly 60 workers were employees at three different warehouses in New York and Maryland, reports The Verge.
“This morning, in the first multi-state walkout in the US, over 60 workers in three delivery stations walked out. Amazonians United workers in ZYO1 and DBK1 in New York City and DMD9 in Maryland showed what solidarity looks like. We demand a $3 raise!” Amazonians United New York City posted Wednesday.
They also demanded that Amazon bring back 20-minute breaks introduced during Covid that the company has since replaced with 15-minute breaks, according to Vice.
The actions are part of a wave of labour activism at Amazon as more employees come together to demand better working conditions and compensation.
In response to the latest walkout, an Amazon spokesperson said: “We’re proud to offer industry leading pay, competitive benefits, and the opportunity for all to grow within the company. While there are many established ways of ensuring we hear the opinions of our employees inside our business, we also respect the right for some to make their opinions known externally.”
Amazonians United includes workers from at least nine warehouses nationwide.
In December 2021, the group led a multi-warehouse walkout in Chicago to demand better pay.
According to the Amazonians United Chicagoland Twitter account, workers there received a $2.20 raise the next month.
The workers make under $17 an hour and work in “megacycle” shifts — 10 hours of work done between 1 a.m. and noon (with two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute lunch break, according to a site that compiles data about warehouse shifts.
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