Amazon employees in Calif. walk out mid-shift in protest of low wages

Amazon workers in San Bernardino, Calif. walked off the job Monday in protest of low wages and unsafe working conditions.

Workers organized by Inland Empire Amazon Workers United (IEAWU) left their stations mid-shift. That marks the first coordinated labor action within Amazon’s growing airfreight division, which they use to transport packages across the globe to their numerous warehouses.

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Of the 1,500 employees at the facility, IEAWU says that 150 walked off the job site on Monday afternoon, according to the Washington Post. Paul Flaningan, an Amazon spokesperson, says that only 74 people walked out.

While only a small fraction of the employees who work at the hub walked out, such a work stoppage can create logistical headaches and disruptions.

Inland Empire Amazon Workers United is an independently organized group that operates as a collective of employees who are demanding an increase in pay, safe working conditions, and an end to retaliation. About 900 workers have signed a petition calling for the base pay rate to be raised to $22 an hour. Workers currently start at $17 an hour.

In San Bernadino, the average rent is $1,650 a month, only slightly lower than the average California rent of $1,700. Working full-time hours, employees have to spend 75% of their income to cover rent.

“Amazon could deliver a higher standard for workers, but they don’t,” said Sara Fee, who has worked at the air hub since it opened in March 2021. “A warehouse is just a warehouse. A company is just a company. The people are what makes it all work, and we are strong and united to fight for what we deserve.”

Alongside issues of pay, workers also brought up concerns over safety, highlighted by recent heatwaves. In July, there were 24 days that reached over 95 degrees at the warehouse, and two workers said they had experienced heat-induced nosebleeds this summer. Another described hitting her head on a shipping container and getting a concussion.

They say that despite new heat exhaustion rest areas, the company isn’t doing enough to protect its employees. The facility is fully air-conditioned, says Flaningan. However, workers say you can only feel the AC in certain parts of the facility.

“While there are many established ways of ensuring we hear the opinions of our employees inside our business, we also respect their right to make their opinions known externally. We are proud to provide full-time employees at our San Bernardino Air Hub and throughout the region a minimum starting wage of $17 an hour,” Flaningan said in a statement. “Depending on their shift, our full-time employees can earn up to $19.25 an hour and receive industry-leading benefits, including health care from day one, 401(k) with 50% company match, and up to 20 weeks paid parental leave. While we’re always listening and looking at ways to improve, we remain proud of the competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and engaging, safe work experience we provide our teams in the region.”

“I would like this job to be long-term. If workers are heard and there is a change, we can make it a good place to work,” said Daniel Rivera, an associate at the warehouse for over a year.

This walkout is similar to labor protests across the county, including the unionization of an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island that happened in April.

Workers who walked out of the Amazon facility on Monday don’t have immediate plans to file for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, but they said they would consider filing for a formal election in the future.