Workers from Amazon's sweatshop warehouse in Allentown, PA bring call for good jobs to executive offices in Seattle
TOMORROW, two workers from Amazon's sweatshop warehouse in Pennsylvania will lead a good jobs rally at Amazon's shiny new corporate headquarters in South Lake Union. Together with more than 100 community supporters, these workers will bring their message from Amazon's sweatshop warehouses to the company's air-conditioned executive suites: it's time for the giant retailer to deliver good jobs to the 99%.
The Amazon warehouse workers will be available for interviews throughout the day Wednesday and Thursday.
When: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 12:00 noon sharp
Where: Amazon corporate headquarters: 410 Terry Avenue North, Seattle
What/Visuals: Joined by more than 100 supporters, workers from Amazon's sweatshop warehouse in Pennsylvania will speak out about working conditions and present a copy of a "Warehouse Workers Bill of Rights" at Amazon's corporate headquarters.
Good jobs rally speakers include:
- Karen Salasky, Amazon warehouse worker who experienced indoor temperatures above 100 degrees
- Jim Herbold, Amazon warehouse worker worker who experienced rough warehouse conditions
- John Scearcy, Teamsters 117 President
Amazon's Allentown, Pennsylvania warehouse has become infamous for its brutal working conditions. When workers collapsed from exhaustion as indoor temperatures rose above 100 degrees and the warehouse became a literal sweatshop, the company's initial response was not to increase ventilation or install air conditioning, but simply to station paramedics outside.
Two former employees from this warehouse are coming to Seattle to bring their call for good jobs directly to Amazon's executives, employees, and hometown community. Together with more than a hundred local supporters, they'll call on the giant retailer to share its success with the workers who get the goods moving from customers' virtual shopping carts to their real-world doorsteps.
If Amazon can generate enough wealth to make CEO Jeff Bezos one of the 30 richest people in the world, they can afford to create good jobs, not abandon workers to sweatshop conditions.
Note: Warehouse workers will be available in Seattle for interviews throughout the day Wednesday and Thursday. Contact Sage Wilson of Working Washington to arrange an interview with one of the Amazon warehouse workers.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Sage Wilson, Working Washington: sage@workingwa.org