Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) central air hub employees in California went on strike earlier this week, demanding better pay and working conditions.
Inland Empire Amazon Workers United
Employees at the San Bernardino location planned Monday’s walkout under the banner of Inland Empire Amazon Workers United, an employee organization. Airplanes with the company’s logo take products from this facility (known as KSBD) to distribution centers all around the United States.
The Washington Post claimed, citing event organizers, that more than 150 employees participated in the walkout. Amazon rebutted, saying that out of the facility’s 1,500 employees, only roughly 75 quit.
Employees in the Inland Empire have formed a union to demand a $22 per hour minimum wage, up from the current $17.
According to the Warehouse Worker Resource Center, a charity that works for workers in the Inland Empire (an area east of Los Angeles), more than 900 employees have signed a petition requesting salary rises.
Paul Flanagan, an official spokesman for Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), has said that, depending on the shift, full-time workers at the facility may earn up to $19.25 per hour.
Members of the group also voiced worry about the “suffocating” temperatures. According to the organization, the San Bernardino airport was 95 degrees or above on 24 days last month. Managers at the plant heard complaints from employees about the heat and responded by installing more shaded places.
Flaningan said that the facility never got hotter than 77 degrees. The ability of workers to express themselves is valued, he said.
Flaningan said that the company was glad to provide its staff in the area with “competitive compensation, full benefits, and an engaging, safe work environment.”
Many e-commerce giants, including Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), have set their sights on expanding to California’s Inland Empire. Concerns regarding pollution and other environmental problems have been raised in response to the fast growth of warehouses and delivery hubs in recent years.
According to the Inland Empire Amazon Workers United, Amazon is the biggest private sector employer in the area.
The increase in unionization efforts among the company warehouse and delivery workers coincides with the strike. While the results of an election at a warehouse in Alabama are still undecided, Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse became the company’s first U.S. union. When the Covid-19 epidemic was at its height, workers demonstrated to bring attention to safety issues.
Featured Image: Megapixl @Wolterk
Author Shariq Khan 
