Amazon Raked in Billions of Dollars Last Quarter. I Won’t Be Seeing Any of It.

Amazon recently released its fourth quarter earnings report for 2023, informing investors that they raked in $170 billion dollars in profits during the final months of the year during a record-breaking holiday season.

The people responsible for these fourth quarter earnings are, of course, Amazon associates like me who do the backbreaking work of getting holiday orders to the millions of customers who rely on Amazon to purchase gifts for their loved ones.

We have made Amazon a multibillion-dollar company, but we won’t be seeing any slice of these earnings.

Instead, Amazon workers across the country are massively underpaid, often working in unsafe conditions, and living paycheck to paycheck just to afford basic necessities. While Amazon rakes in billions of dollars in profits for executives and shareholders—totaling $575 billion in 2023—the company fails to reward the workers on the ground doing the heavy lifting.

We deserve more and Amazon can absolutely afford to treat us better. That’s why we’re organizing for fair pay, better working conditions, and a voice on the job.

While Amazon rakes in billions of dollars in profits for executives and shareholders—totaling $575 billion in 2023—the company fails to reward the workers on the ground doing the heavy lifting.

Those of us who work at Amazon know its harsh reality. I’ve worked at Amazon for just over two years. I just finished my third holiday peak season, and it hasn’t gotten any easier. The moment I walk into my Amazon facility in Pontiac, Michigan, a wave of stress hits me because I know it’s go-go-go for the next 9 and a half hours.

Outside of the holiday peak season, my facility typically processes around 70,000 packages a day. During the holidays, that number can easily skyrocket to over 100,000. It means moving thousands of packages off one shelf for hours. Then, when you think you’re done and the shelf is empty, you blink, and there’s another thousand packages waiting for you.

If you’ve ever seen the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy works at the chocolate factory, that paints a pretty good picture of what we experienced during the holidays. Just as Lucy was forced to stuff the chocolates into her blouse because she couldn’t keep up with the conveyor belt’s fast pace, we’re struggling to manage the thousands of packages flying towards us. Unfortunately for us, it’s no comedy. It’s grueling work, with no rest and no sympathy from management.

This isn’t a healthy environment, and safety never seems like the first priority, contrary to what Amazon proclaims in their postings throughout our facility. During the holidays, it’s also the reason why so many workers only last a few days before quitting, even if they need the money. I’ve seen Amazon bring in a new class of 30 workers on a Monday, only for two of those workers to still be there by Friday.

That’s why workers at my Amazon delivery station, known as DDT6, are organizing together, building collective power to improve our jobs, with support from the Teamsters and other labor and community organizations.

In 2022, we wore red buttons to show solidarity and to demand better conditions. Amazon took notice – as a result, the company met our demands, slowing down the conveyor belts and improving the unpaid time off policy.

We’ve kept organizing and escalating. On Prime Day last summer, we went on strike over Amazon’s unfair labor practices, with support from Amazon van and truck drivers. It is the largest strike ever at an Amazon delivery station.

Recently, we fought hard to organize for holiday peak pay, but Amazon refused. In 2021, Amazon afforded us peak pay–an additional $3 an hour during five to six weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas. But Amazon stopped providing this additional pay in 2022, even though our workloads continue to increase. When we asked about this, Amazon told us the 2021 pay was for COVID, not for working peak season, even though our 2021 paychecks clearly stated “Peak Pay” on them.

They think that they can get away with paying us less now—even though the latest earnings report clearly shows they have more than enough money.

At DDT6, we’re organizing for real change, and we’re securing key victories. To keep up this momentum, we welcome other Amazon workers to join us in our fight for what we deserve, and what Amazon owes to us.

For Amazon customers, all we ask is that you consider the workers who are behind Amazon’s multi-billion dollar success—the ones working day and night to ensure you receive your packages and essentials—and support us in our fight for better pay and working conditions.

It’s time Amazon respects the workers who keep this company running. Because while Amazon may try and act like it’s a good employer, all of us, including associates like me who are the backbone of their success, know the truth. We deserve better.