August 17, 2022
Workers at an Amazon air freight hub in California staged a walkout on Monday demanding better pay and working conditions.
The protesting workers formed a group called Inland Empire Amazon Workers United, which said 160 workers had walked out on Monday. Specifically, the workers demanded a US$5 per hour pay rise and better safety conditions.
The protesting workers want the company to improve its health and safety, especially with regard to heat, and the group said on Twitter that temperatures at the plant could rise above 95 degrees.
“We’re not making enough to save anything. If something goes wrong with my car, I don’t have savings, I can’t afford to eat healthy food. I have to buy chicken nuggets or noodles,” explained Sara Fee, one of the group’s main organizers.
The Post reported that at meetings on August 3 and 5, managers offered a US$1.50 per hour pay increase for weekday night shifts and US$2 for weekend night shifts.
An Amazon spokesman said workers at KSBD earn a minimum wage of US$17 an hour, while the estimated wage for a single adult without children in the area is US$18.66 an hour.
On the poor working condition, an Amazon spokesperson told The Post the facility has indoor air conditioning.
The sources for this piece include an article in BusinessInsider.
