Amazon Employees In NYC Strike Over Coronavirus Concerns
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 30: Amazon employees hold a protest and walkout over conditions at the company’s Staten Island distribution facility on March 30, 2020 in New York City. Workers at the facility, which has had numerous employees test positive for the coronavirus, want to call attention to what they say is a lack of protections for employees who continue to come to work amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Amazon is under fire again as their Staten Island warehouse employees are striking and protesting over coronavirus concerns. As the New York Post reports, 50 Amazon workers came together to protest the company's handling of the virus. They add that so far, 25 of the warehouse's employees have tested for coronavirus. Amazon is disputing these numbers.
This is the second time that the Amazon employees in Staten Island have gone on strike. As we reported, there was another protest at the end of March that led to an employee, Christopher Smalls, getting fired by the company. Vox News reports his termination has been controversial within the company's ranks.
In a statement, Amazon defends itself, saying, "Of the more than 5,000 employees at our Staten Island fulfillment center, less than 10 people participated in today’s demonstration – half of whom were not Amazon employees." They add, "Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable. We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances."
Amazon warehouse workers in Chicago and Detroit also held rallies and work stoppages in recent weeks over coronavirus-related safety concerns.
