Christian Smalls, an assistant manager at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse, led a walkout on Monday demanding better protections against COVID-19 but was fired hours later
ASSOCIATED PRESS: An Amazon employee who coordinated a walkout of dozens of staff from its Staten Island warehouse has been fired, with the online retail giant telling CNN that he was supposed to be staying at home for two weeks after coming into contact with another worker who tested positive for coronavirus.of more than a dozen staff members at the facility on Monday, demanding the closure and sterilization of the site after at least one worker tested positive for the virus.
The workers were also demanding paid sick leave to be made an option for all workers, not just those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are in quarantine because of it, as testing across the U.S. remains shamefully limited. Less than a day after the walkout, Amazon said in a statement to CNN that Smalls had been fired for bypassing their request for him to stay home after having close contact with another worker who tested positive for the virus.by CNN, read: “Mr. Smalls was found to have had close contact with a diagnosed associate with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and was asked to remain home with pay for 14 days, which is a measure we’re taking at sites around the world.
Smalls told CNN in response: “For them to do it this way, and for the reasoning behind it, that tells you right there that they, number one, don't care about people, and number two, it’s just a target, a straight-up target." He also denied having come into contact with the ill worker, he wrote on Twitter via his “@Shut_downAmazon” account.: Other retailers have seen staff walk out this week, concerned that they are not being adequately protected against the financial and health risks posed by COVID-19.
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