Coinciding with Prime Week, the week of promotions that revolves around Prime Day, Amazon's biggest annual sales event for its Prime customers, members of the Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE) union held a protest to denounce the working conditions in the company's distribution centers.
The surge in purchases during this period forces Amazon warehouses to operate at full capacity, with a heavier workload and, in many cases, extended working hours for employees.
In that context, workers affiliated with the CAUSE union gathered on Thursday, June 25, in front of the Amazon RDU 1 logistics center, located in the city of Garner.
“Today marks the end of Prime Week, when Amazon earns significantly more money and its workers work significantly more,” said Italo Medelius, secretary of the Executive Board of CAUSES, Enlace Latino NC .
“With this action we want to remember those who they died "At work. At least three people have died inside Amazon; one of them died right here," he added.
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“They exploit us day after day”
Medelius indicated that the approximately 5,000 workers at the Garner distribution center and more than 2,500 employees at the Durham facility are organizing to denounce what they consider unfair working conditions.
“When we enter these facilities, these buildings, and are exploited day after day, it’s not fair. Today, during Prime Day, one of Amazon’s biggest sales days, there are workers who are working two hours longer than usual and aren’t earning a single penny more,” he denounced.
The union leader asserted that, while the company increases its profits, the workers' movement continues to grow in North Carolina.
“Amazon is getting richer. We mean, we’re uniting, not just here in Garner, at RDU1, but across all facilities. Amazon’s union is trying to reach all employees in the state, and we’ve grown a lot since last year,” he said.
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“It’s quite a tiring job.”
María Cano, an Amazon employee for six years and a member of the CAUSE union, explained that she decided to join the organization for reasons of “common sense” and to defend “human dignity.”
During Prime Day, he stated that the workdays extend from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., which is equivalent to more than 11 hours of work.
“I had to leave early today, I couldn’t take it anymore. My legs and feet hurt from exhaustion,” she told Enlace Latino NC.
Although the company maintains that it cares about the well-being of its employees, Cano questioned the Labor conditions“There’s nowhere to sit. It’s quite a tiring job,” he noted.
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“Physical exhaustion due to economic necessity”
Cano pointed out that, although Amazon offers one of the best salaries in the sector, many workers accept the physical strain out of economic necessity.
“People need the salary to live. They prefer to come and physically kill themselves for a few extra dollars. If it were a more dignified job, it would be much better,” he stated.
The worker also highlighted the presence of numerous Latino employees at the plant and took the opportunity to call on her colleagues to organize.
“There is strength in unity. If we workers don't unite, machines will replace us and we will end up as disposable objects. We have to defend our dignity,” he said.
According to Cano, employees normally work four days a week, although during peak seasons, such as Prime Day, working hours can increase to a maximum of 60 hours per week.
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