Amazon workers walk out over lack of protective gear amid coronavirus

Amazon workers walked out of a New York City facility on Monday, going on strike and demanding increased protective gear and hazard pay as they work through the coronavirus pandemic.

“Since the building won’t close by itself, we’re going to have to force their hand,” Chris Smalls, lead organizer of the Staten Island strike, told CNBC. He added that workers “will not return until the building gets sanitized”.

The strikers at the JFK8 warehouse demanded the company close down the large warehouse for thorough cleaning after reports of multiple employees testing positive for the coronavirus.

“How many cases we got? Ten!” went a call-and-response chant outside the fulfillment center, according to one report.

On Monday afternoon, Smalls said he had been told he would be dismissed from his position at the company.

He said in a statement: “Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us, our families, and our communities safe. I am outraged and disappointed, but I’m not shocked. As usual, Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe.”

Amazon said in a statement that Smalls received multiple warnings for violating physical distancing guidelines and putting the safety of others at risk, and he had been asked to stay at home for 14 days with pay after having found to have had close contact with a person who had been diagnosed with Covid-19.

The company also disputed the allegations of the workers who had participated in the walkout and said it had taken measures to keep people safe, including by intensifying cleaning and procuring safety supplies.

Delivery workers for Instacart, a national delivery service also went on strike across the country on Monday, demanding disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and better pay to offset risks faced in bringing groceries to Americans confined to their homes.

They received support from the Massachusetts senator and recent presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.

Some Whole Foods workers are also expected to strike on Tuesday.

While much of the US navigates public gathering restrictions and mandatory stay-at-home orders, and as confirmed cases and deaths from the respiratory illness rise, Small alleged that Amazon employees have been exposed to multiple people who have been found to have Covid-19.

Employees at the New York facility accuse Amazon of poor communication about worker health. Small himself is in quarantine after coming in contact with an infected co-worker.

The management assistant alleges only “a select few of the general managers” and a handful of colleagues in close proximity were informed about the diagnosis. Another anonymous worker told CNBC gloves were being rationed.

Amazon confirmed an associate, who reported for work on 11 March, has since been diagnosed with Covid-19. The associate received medical care and is in quarantine, the company said.

“We are following all guidelines from local health officials and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site,” a spokeswoman told CNBC.

The company shot back at Small’s accusations, claiming he was “alleging many misleading things” while at home on quarantine and receiving full pay.

Amazon insisted it had “taken extreme measures” for safety, including deep cleaning and procuring safety supplies. The spokeswoman added the company permits unlimited unpaid leave for employees who feel uncomfortable working during the outbreak.

Amazon has had to balance a spike in demand for online deliveries with growing risks to its workers. Research indicates the coronavirus can survive on items like cardboard for 24 hours, and on plastic for up to three days.

The company instituted a 3ft distancing policy and distributed hand sanitizer throughout its facilities. Still, workers had already tested positive for the coronavirus at 11 warehouses. One warehouse in Kentucky was forced to close temporarily.

With Amazon employing nearly 800,000 people, some workers claim the measures don’t go far enough. Warehouses are still sometimes packed with thousands of employees confined to small spaces.

New York state has the most confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US. More than 60,000 cases have been confirmed across the state, resulting in more more than 1,000 deaths.

On Sunday, Instacart announced concessions to its delivery workers including new health and safety supplies and automatic tipping.

In a Medium post, Instacart workers and the Gig Workers Collective said the company’s response was “insulting for a number of reasons”.

“We are heartened by the outpouring of support we’ve received from Instacart customers, politicians, activists and everyday folks worried that they could be exposed to the virus due to Instacart’s craven profit-seeking,” the workers wrote.

“It goes to show that corporate greed is an issue that impacts us all, whether one is a shopper directly being affected, or not.”