FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2022
Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259
AMAZON HOLIDAY STATEMENT FROM RWDSU
(NEW YORK, NY) – As the holiday shopping season gets underway, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), issued the following statement urging Amazon to treat workers with dignity and respect – especially at this time of year:
“Amazon kicked off Prime Day in early October, and has continued to turn up the pressure on workers as it gears up for the busy holiday season, which means this year’s peak period will be one of the longest and most stressful for the workforce.
“Every year at this time, Amazon workers across the world are forced to work mandatory overtime at an often-unattainable pace that results in injuries. Workers at Amazon’s warehouses are pushed to the limits to meet unreasonable quotas and demands from nameless and faceless algorithms and apps on their phones.
“Amazon must be held accountable for its inhumane quotas and unsafe working conditions, which are injuring workers around the globe at an alarming rate. No worker should ever have to worry if they’ll go home injured after a shift or if the pace they’re working will have long term damaging effects to their physical and mental health.
“Amazon must recognize the health and safety needs of its employees. It needs to reduce the unbearable pace of work which has resulted in thousands of documented physical and mental injuries – a pace of work that is only exacerbated this holiday shopping season.
“Most importantly, Amazon must stop union-busting. The company has continued to repress workers' voices and prevent their ability to make effective change at work – which can only happen when workers are able to join together through a union. This year, workers are standing up in the United States and across the globe to say enough is enough. Amazon cannot continue to treat workers as disposable and this Black Friday, workers will be taking action to demand that they be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.