Amazon workers strike over alleged unfair labor practices at San Bernardino air hub – San Bernardino Sun
Amazon workers strike outside the company’s air cargo hub in San Bernardino on Sunday, July 21, 2024, to protest what they say are unfair labor practices by their employer. (Photo by Milka Soko, contributing photographer)
On Sunday, July 21, workers at Amazon’s San Bernardino air hub walked off the job and demonstrated outside their workplace, in what organizers called a protest against the online retailer’s unfair labor practices.
The one-day strike is due to retaliation the workers faced for forming a union, according to a press release issued by a public relations firm on behalf of the striking workers.
“We are striking to send a message to Amazon: treat your workers with the respect and dignity we deserve,” Anna Ortega, a worker at the factory, said in a press release.
“Amazon is one of the most profitable companies in the world, but consistently treats its workers like scum. We stand up for our right to organize and fight for a better future at Amazon.”
The press release quoted Randy Korgan, director of the Teamsters’ Amazon Division, as saying, “The workers now striking have the full support of more than a million Teamsters across the country. Amazon has no respect for the well-being of the workers who make its profits possible, and the workers in San Bernardino have sent a clear message to these white-collar criminals that they have had enough.”
The strike was scheduled to “cause significant disruption to the company as workers continue to fulfill orders for Prime Day,” the press release said. Prime Day, which took place on Tuesday, July 16, and Wednesday, July 17, is a major sales event for Amazon.
In an emailed statement, Amazon spokeswoman Eileen Hards said: “This activity was initiated and attended primarily by third-party organizers and individuals who do not work for Amazon – and had no impact on our operations or our ability to deliver to our customers.”
“Our employees have the choice to join a union or not. That has always been the case,” Hards said. “We want each individual to be respected and valued as an individual and to have their unique voice heard through direct engagement with our team.”
Hards added: “The fact is that Amazon already offers what many unions are calling for: safe and inclusive workplaces, competitive pay, benefits from day one, and opportunities for career advancement. We look forward to working directly with our employees to continue to make Amazon a great place to work.”
The air hub is located at San Bernardino International Airport and is part of Amazon’s extensive network of Inland Empire logistics facilities.
Working with the Teamsters, a group of workers has called attention to what they describe as a pattern of mistreatment of its employees by the company. Previous strikes have focused on workers’ complaints about wages and safety. Workers say they risk their health to meet production quotas in sweltering temperatures.
Amazon denies using a quota system but argues it has taken a number of measures to cool down workers’ temperatures. The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health fined Amazon in January over temperatures at the air cargo center.
In June, government agencies announced fines of around $6 million against Amazon, claiming the company failed to inform workers about a law designed to prevent abusive production quotas. Amazon denies the allegations and is appealing the fines.
In addition, workers at the air cargo hubs accuse Amazon of withholding overtime pay to which they are entitled because the company did not grant them mandatory rest breaks.
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