The group of workers organizing the walkout call themselves the Inland Empire Amazon Workers United, and claimed in online posts that more than 150 employees participated in their coordinated work stoppage on Monday. Amazon, however, disputes this figure and said 74 workers took part in the walkout. By either measure, the demonstrators represented a small fraction of the 1,500 employees at the Amazon air facility, known as KSBD.
In the statement, the organizers also claimed “unsafe heat conditions” remain in many work areas, and noted that temperatures reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit or above at the San Bernardino cargo airport on two dozen days last month.
“Working in the heat feels like you are suffocating,” a worker identified as Melissa Ojeda said in the statement released by the group. “You need to take breaks and you can overheat really easily. They don’t make it easy to take breaks to allow your body to cool down.”
Paul Flaningan, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement provided to CNN Business that the company is “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 added that full-time employees can earn up to $19.25 an hour and also 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 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,” the statement added. “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.”
The ongoing organizing efforts inside Amazon continue to draw support from labor advocates and progressive politicians around the country, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has long been a loud critic of the company.
