Amazon workers’ Prime Day strike begins in Minnesota

Shopping with Amazon on Prime Day could imply crossing a digital picket line.

Amazon employees in Minnesota and Germany are hanging as Prime Day kicks off, in a stand in opposition to working situations and wage practices. Those in Europe have staged protests throughout sale days in previous years. But the motion in Minnesota is the primary main strike of employees in the United States through the firm’s annual Prime Day occasion. It might also be an indication that the corporate’s improve to a $15 minimal wage final yr is probably not sufficient to fulfill employees’ wants.

The strike is a part of the employees’ continued push on Amazon to “provide safe and reliable jobs, increase respect and opportunities for advancement for the predominantly East African workforce, protect the right to organize and advocate for better working conditions, and to demand concrete action from Amazon to address critical issues like climate change,” the organizers mentioned in a press release.

The achievement middle employees in Shakopee, Minnesota plan to start out strolling out at three p.m. ET Monday for a six-hour interval that overlaps with the morning and night shifts. The strike coincides with Amazon’s Prime Day, which may very well be one of many firm’s greatest gross sales day of the yr. Some Seattle tech workers can even be attending the strike in solidarity, based on a press release from the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.

“These groups are conjuring misinformation to work in their favor, when in fact we already offer the things they purport to be their cause — industry leading pay of $15 per hour, benefits, and a safe workplace for our employees,” Amazon mentioned in a press release. “If these groups — unions and the politicians they rally to their cause — really want to help the American worker, we encourage them to focus their energy on passing legislation for an increase in the federal minimum wage, because $7.25 is too low.”

The majority of employees at that facility are East African, and have additionally been pissed off as a result of they are saying Amazon has not acknowledged their spiritual practices. The strike is being organized by the Awood Center, a bunch that advocates for Somali and East African employees. Workers on the facility, referred to as MSP1, have rallied in opposition to the corporate earlier than. But the stakes may very well be greater since it’s a main gross sales day for the corporate.

Workers hanging in Germany lobbied for 2 days for residing wages and bargaining energy for workers. More than 2,000 folks participated in over seven places, the labor union that represents the employees informed Reuters. In Europe, the place there are stronger labor legal guidelines, Amazon employees have staged protests in opposition to the corporate for years.

Amazon mentioned that the protests in Germany is not going to have any operational impacts or impression on deliveries. “These teams are conjuring misinformation to work in their favor, when in reality we already supply the issues they…