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In solidarity with striking workers throughout Europe, many in the U.S. and throughout the world are calling for boycotts of "Prime Day," which lasts 36 hours. (Photo: PBS)
As Bezos Becomes Richest Man in Modern History, Amazon Workers Mark #PrimeDay With Strikes Against Low Pay and Brutal Conditions
"The message is clear—while the online giant gets rich, it is saving money on the health of its workers."
Jul 17, 2018
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has just become the richest man in recorded history--surpassing $150 billion in net worth--thanks to his business model of subjecting employees to low wages, brutal working conditions, and scant benefits, and on Tuesday Amazon workers throughout Europe are marking "Prime Day" by walking off the job in massive numbers to call attention to their plight.
"Jeff Bezos' newly renovated home in Washington DC will have 25 bathrooms. Meanwhile, Amazon workers skip bathroom breaks in order to meet their grueling work targets."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
In addition to walkouts by an estimated 80 percent of the workers at Amazon's largest distribution center in Spain--nearly 1,800 workers--employees of the retailer are also reportedly launching strikes in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom to demand higher wages and denounce Amazon's union-busting efforts.
"The message is clear--while the online giant gets rich, it is saving money on the health of its workers," Stefanie Nutzenberger, spokesperson for the German services union Verdi, said in a statement.
\u201cTres d\u00edas de #HuelgaAmazon, en San Fernando de Henares #Madrid, coincidiendo con el #PrimeDay. La multinacional pretende crear varias categor\u00edas salariales para un mismo trabajo @AmazonEnLucha\u201d— CCOO de Madrid (@CCOO de Madrid) 1531724823
Strikes against Amazon's notoriously appalling working conditions--which include forcing warehouse employees to skip bathroom breaks and urinate in bottles to meet the company's unrealistic performance expectations--come as Bezos is coming under growing pressure to address his treatment of employees.
As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pointed out in his "CEOs vs. Workers" town hall Monday night--which Bezos declined to attend--the Amazon chief earns around $275 million each day while refusing to pay his workers enough to get by without food stamps.
Seth King, a former Amazon employee who participated in the town hall, described Amazon's business model as "a revolving door of bodies" and said workers are "not allowed to sit down" or "talk to other people" on the job.
\u201cThis is the reality of working at Amazon. #CEOsvsWorkers #PrimeDay\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1531790147
\u201cJeff Bezo\u2019s newly renovated home in Washington DC will have 25 bathrooms. Meanwhile, Amazon workers skip bathroom breaks in order to meet their grueling work targets. #CEOsvsWorkers\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1531784096
In solidarity with striking workers throughout Europe, many in the U.S. and throughout the world are calling for boycotts of "Prime Day," which lasts 36 hours.
\u201cNever cross the picket line! Stand in solidarity with Amazon's underpaid, undervalued workers, and boycott #PrimeDay2018 https://t.co/o1ZahWYRu0\u201d— Kim Kelly (@Kim Kelly) 1531754247
\u201cAmazon employees are on STRIKE! Workers are calling for a #PrimeDay2018 boycott through July 16th.\n\n#AmazonStrike workers experience exhaustion, dehydration & workplace injuries.\n\nJeff Bezos is the richest man in the world. His workers deserve better! #UnionStrong #FridayThe13th\u201d— Bonnie Castillo (@Bonnie Castillo) 1531517316
\u201cIf you're staying off Amazon in solidarity with workers for the #amazonstrike, remember to keep away from all their subsidiaries as well! That includes the following:\u201d— Richard (@Richard) 1531324130
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has just become the richest man in recorded history--surpassing $150 billion in net worth--thanks to his business model of subjecting employees to low wages, brutal working conditions, and scant benefits, and on Tuesday Amazon workers throughout Europe are marking "Prime Day" by walking off the job in massive numbers to call attention to their plight.
"Jeff Bezos' newly renovated home in Washington DC will have 25 bathrooms. Meanwhile, Amazon workers skip bathroom breaks in order to meet their grueling work targets."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
In addition to walkouts by an estimated 80 percent of the workers at Amazon's largest distribution center in Spain--nearly 1,800 workers--employees of the retailer are also reportedly launching strikes in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom to demand higher wages and denounce Amazon's union-busting efforts.
"The message is clear--while the online giant gets rich, it is saving money on the health of its workers," Stefanie Nutzenberger, spokesperson for the German services union Verdi, said in a statement.
\u201cTres d\u00edas de #HuelgaAmazon, en San Fernando de Henares #Madrid, coincidiendo con el #PrimeDay. La multinacional pretende crear varias categor\u00edas salariales para un mismo trabajo @AmazonEnLucha\u201d— CCOO de Madrid (@CCOO de Madrid) 1531724823
Strikes against Amazon's notoriously appalling working conditions--which include forcing warehouse employees to skip bathroom breaks and urinate in bottles to meet the company's unrealistic performance expectations--come as Bezos is coming under growing pressure to address his treatment of employees.
As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pointed out in his "CEOs vs. Workers" town hall Monday night--which Bezos declined to attend--the Amazon chief earns around $275 million each day while refusing to pay his workers enough to get by without food stamps.
Seth King, a former Amazon employee who participated in the town hall, described Amazon's business model as "a revolving door of bodies" and said workers are "not allowed to sit down" or "talk to other people" on the job.
\u201cThis is the reality of working at Amazon. #CEOsvsWorkers #PrimeDay\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1531790147
\u201cJeff Bezo\u2019s newly renovated home in Washington DC will have 25 bathrooms. Meanwhile, Amazon workers skip bathroom breaks in order to meet their grueling work targets. #CEOsvsWorkers\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1531784096
In solidarity with striking workers throughout Europe, many in the U.S. and throughout the world are calling for boycotts of "Prime Day," which lasts 36 hours.
\u201cNever cross the picket line! Stand in solidarity with Amazon's underpaid, undervalued workers, and boycott #PrimeDay2018 https://t.co/o1ZahWYRu0\u201d— Kim Kelly (@Kim Kelly) 1531754247
\u201cAmazon employees are on STRIKE! Workers are calling for a #PrimeDay2018 boycott through July 16th.\n\n#AmazonStrike workers experience exhaustion, dehydration & workplace injuries.\n\nJeff Bezos is the richest man in the world. His workers deserve better! #UnionStrong #FridayThe13th\u201d— Bonnie Castillo (@Bonnie Castillo) 1531517316
\u201cIf you're staying off Amazon in solidarity with workers for the #amazonstrike, remember to keep away from all their subsidiaries as well! That includes the following:\u201d— Richard (@Richard) 1531324130
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has just become the richest man in recorded history--surpassing $150 billion in net worth--thanks to his business model of subjecting employees to low wages, brutal working conditions, and scant benefits, and on Tuesday Amazon workers throughout Europe are marking "Prime Day" by walking off the job in massive numbers to call attention to their plight.
"Jeff Bezos' newly renovated home in Washington DC will have 25 bathrooms. Meanwhile, Amazon workers skip bathroom breaks in order to meet their grueling work targets."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders
In addition to walkouts by an estimated 80 percent of the workers at Amazon's largest distribution center in Spain--nearly 1,800 workers--employees of the retailer are also reportedly launching strikes in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom to demand higher wages and denounce Amazon's union-busting efforts.
"The message is clear--while the online giant gets rich, it is saving money on the health of its workers," Stefanie Nutzenberger, spokesperson for the German services union Verdi, said in a statement.
\u201cTres d\u00edas de #HuelgaAmazon, en San Fernando de Henares #Madrid, coincidiendo con el #PrimeDay. La multinacional pretende crear varias categor\u00edas salariales para un mismo trabajo @AmazonEnLucha\u201d— CCOO de Madrid (@CCOO de Madrid) 1531724823
Strikes against Amazon's notoriously appalling working conditions--which include forcing warehouse employees to skip bathroom breaks and urinate in bottles to meet the company's unrealistic performance expectations--come as Bezos is coming under growing pressure to address his treatment of employees.
As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pointed out in his "CEOs vs. Workers" town hall Monday night--which Bezos declined to attend--the Amazon chief earns around $275 million each day while refusing to pay his workers enough to get by without food stamps.
Seth King, a former Amazon employee who participated in the town hall, described Amazon's business model as "a revolving door of bodies" and said workers are "not allowed to sit down" or "talk to other people" on the job.
\u201cThis is the reality of working at Amazon. #CEOsvsWorkers #PrimeDay\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1531790147
\u201cJeff Bezo\u2019s newly renovated home in Washington DC will have 25 bathrooms. Meanwhile, Amazon workers skip bathroom breaks in order to meet their grueling work targets. #CEOsvsWorkers\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1531784096
In solidarity with striking workers throughout Europe, many in the U.S. and throughout the world are calling for boycotts of "Prime Day," which lasts 36 hours.
\u201cNever cross the picket line! Stand in solidarity with Amazon's underpaid, undervalued workers, and boycott #PrimeDay2018 https://t.co/o1ZahWYRu0\u201d— Kim Kelly (@Kim Kelly) 1531754247
\u201cAmazon employees are on STRIKE! Workers are calling for a #PrimeDay2018 boycott through July 16th.\n\n#AmazonStrike workers experience exhaustion, dehydration & workplace injuries.\n\nJeff Bezos is the richest man in the world. His workers deserve better! #UnionStrong #FridayThe13th\u201d— Bonnie Castillo (@Bonnie Castillo) 1531517316
\u201cIf you're staying off Amazon in solidarity with workers for the #amazonstrike, remember to keep away from all their subsidiaries as well! That includes the following:\u201d— Richard (@Richard) 1531324130
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