Amazon workers walk off the job in Joliet

[Pete Ross Junior]

Amazon workers walk off the job in Joliet
Chicago Sun Times

Amazon employees at an important distribution hub in Joliet walked off the job Tuesday, calling attention to their demands for higher pay and new workplace safety rules.

The walkout by some employees on the day shift was timed to disrupt the retailer’s operations during its Prime Day promotion, which lasts Tuesday and Wednesday. It was part of a national pressure campaign, supported by pro-labor groups, that included job actions near Atlanta and a walkout planned Friday in San Bernardino, California.

Organizers said more than 600 workers in Joliet signed a petition demanding that the company raise base hourly wages to $25. Amazon has said it has raised average starting pay for warehouse staff to $19 an hour. The workers also are demanding a more robust company response to death threats directed at Black employees that they said were posted in an employee washroom last May.

Cesar Escutia, a warehouse associate for about three months at Amazon, said a manager was dismissive about the threats despite widespread employee concerns. Escutia also said his hourly wage is $18.50.

A company spokesperson said $19 an hour is a national average, with a range of $16 to $26 an hour depending on the job and location in the U.S. The company did not say if the walkouts affected operations but issued a statement: “We value employee feedback and are always listening. We’re investing $1 billion over the next year to permanently raise hourly pay for frontline employees and we’ll continue looking for ways to improve their experience.”

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Racist death treats on top of everything else.