USA Today reports this morning that "scores of Amazon workers are planning to not show up for their jobs this week in an effort to bring attention to their safety concerns and put pressure on the company to improve workplace conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, say organizations supporting the workers. It is being billed as the biggest mass action yet in an ongoing dispute between the e-commerce behemoth and its workers."
Athena, described as "a coalition of local and national organizations representing workers," says that different walkouts are scheduled to take place today and Friday. "The Athena coalition says there are more than 130 warehouses where Amazon workers have contracted COVID-19, including some warehouses with more than 30 confirmed cases," the story says.
While Amazon has confirmed some of the cases, it has emphasized that it has made moves to protect workers, including the use of masks and taking of temperatures. It also has increased wages by $2 per hour in the US, and is hiring a total of 175,000 new employees to handle the crunch.
- KC's View:
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Seems to me that Amazon has lost control over this narrative, and needs to make moves to re-establish itself as a leader in this area … do what needs to be done to protect your workers, and do it fast.
