Employees at large retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Whole Foods are planning to strike in protest of working conditions on International Worker’s Day.
Workers around the country will hold the mass strike on May 1 over their employers not providing adequate protection in the workplace during the coronavirus pandemic. In a flyer circulated on social media, organizers of the event dubbed it the “May Day General Strike.”
“It’s more powerful when we come together,” Chris Smalls, a lead organizer who was fired by Amazon after staging a walkout last month, said. “We formed an alliance between a bunch of different companies because we all have one common goal, which is to save the lives of workers and communities. Right now isn’t the time to open up the economy.”
Most of Friday’s protest will be focused on Amazon, where at least one warehouse worker has died from COVID-19, and several others have been infected. The company, owned by technology tycoon Jeff Bezos, who also oversees Whole Foods, has already seen several walkouts and protests by frustrated employees. Amazon fired at least three employees who have openly expressed criticism over the company’s workplace conditions.
Labor activists recently painted a mural outside of Bezos’s Washington, D.C., residence advocating for better working conditions. Earlier this month, the centibillionaire visited an Amazon warehouse and a Whole Foods to thank employees working throughout the pandemic.
“We’re all incredibly proud of the thousands of our colleagues working on the front lines to get critical goods to people everywhere during this crisis,” Amazon tweeted on the day of Bezos’s visit.
In a statement regarding the upcoming protest, the company said, “While we respect people’s right to express themselves, we object to the irresponsible actions of labor groups in spreading misinformation and making false claims about Amazon during this unprecedented health and economic crisis. We have gone to extreme measures to understand and address this pandemic.”
Amazon recently vowed to invest $800 million on safety measures to protect employees during the pandemic. The money will go to purchasing masks, thermal cameras, thermometers, sanitizing wipes, sanitizers, adding extra hand-washing stations in its facilities, and buying coronavirus testing supplies, according to Puget Sound Business Journal.
Walmart, one of the major retailers still hiring during the pandemic, called worker safety a priority and has aimed to increase safety by installing sneeze guards at registers, introducing new cleaning standards, and limiting the number of shoppers in stores.
Target also announced a series of changes amid the pandemic, including providing masks and gloves for their employees, limiting the number of in-demand items for consumers, and closing their stores at 9 p.m.
“At Target, we’re committed to helping the families and communities we serve in good times and bad,” the company said in a statement on its website. “We’ve already taken a number of steps in support of our team and guests, with increased safety measures and operational changes. And, we’ll continue to do all we can to help navigate these uncertain times.”
According to USA Today, a spokesperson for Target defended the company’s new policies, suggesting most workers have expressed pride in the work they’re doing during the pandemic to keep stores open. Pushing back on the criticism by some employees, the company called the protesters a “very small minority” of its workforce.
