Hundreds of Amazon workers plan to call off work this week over claims the company has failed to keep them safe during the pandemic — or provide paid sick leave.
Amazon warehouse workers' demands have been wide-reaching. Some say the retailer should shut down facilities where staff have tested positive for COVID-19. Others point out that many workers still don't receive masks the company promised and that they are worried their coworkers can easily evade the instituted temperature checks. Some warehouse staff want Amazon to ease or eliminate speed quotas to allow more time for hand-washing and other breaks.
One central demand is better access to paid leave. Amazon has extended unlimited unpaid leave for all hourly workers and paid leave for those who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or get placed in quarantine by the company. But some workersMore than 130 Amazon warehouses have had confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the worker advocacy groups that have helped organize Amazon employees.
"Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable," Amazon spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said in a statement."We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances.
Amazon is hiring about 175,000 workers during the coronavirus pandemic and has temporarily increased its pay by $2 per hour.
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