FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2020

Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259

AMAZON PRIME DAY STATEMENT FROM RWDSU PRESIDENT STUART APPELBAUM 

(NEW YORK, NY) –  On the eve of the two-day Amazon Prime Day shopping event, Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) issued the following statement: 

“Amazon’s Prime Day means more injuries and unacceptable levels of stress for its workforce. During normal times it’s a grueling period for workers. During a global pandemic it may well push workers beyond their limit. 

“Amazon continues to demonstrate a callous disregard for the health and safety of its employees.  It shows more concern for its robots than for the working people who have helped create the massive wealth which has made Jeff Bezos the wealthiest person in the history of the world. Amazon’s business model is based on feasting on taxpayer-funded subsidies, paying little or no taxes and mistreating and dehumanizing its workforce.

“When Amazon employees have spoken out about dangers in their workplace - especially during the pandemic, Amazon has responded by firing the workers and treating it as a public relations problem rather than as an urgent health and safety problem. As a result, Amazon workers have died.

“Amazon has even developed data points and software to spy on their workers and to snuff out any attempts by them to exercise their legal right to organize –  and that is unAmerican. 

“Amazon needs to change the way it operates. Amazon needs to understand that its workers are not expendable.”

###

 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.