By Madhu Mayer
Amazon warehouse workers staged a walkout on Tuesday to mark Prime Day in front of the MDW2 warehouse facility located at the regional distribution network hub on Emerald Drive in Joliet.
The workers are demanding a safer workplace from violence, injury, sexual harassment, and jobs that pay a living wage. The MDW2 warehouse is the only cross-dock central hub facility in Illinois and important to the Amazon supply chain across the country. The warehouse receives products from around the world that are sorted and sent out to fulfillment centers. If there was a worker stoppage it would negatively impact Amazon operations across the region.
There have been hundreds of workers who signed a petition calling for stronger health and safety policies as well as a base pay increase of $25/hr. from the current rate of $18.00. “Workers have been fighting to organize here for months and we’re proud to stand in solidarity with them as they walk out to exercise their rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.” Said Marcos Ceniceros, Executive Director of Warehouse Workers for Justice.
Last month, Amazon increased the hourly wage by $1 after immense pressure. When asked about the wage increase MDW2 worker Steve Broadway said, “we need to be paid a living wage, at least $25/hr. I’ve worked here for 2 years and it’s not right we aren’t being paid fare wages and don’t have safer working conditions.” Another worker said the hourly pay increase was a “step forward in the right direction, but a $1 increase is not enough and not a living wage.”
In July, 26 employees at the Joliet Cross-dock facility filed a complaint with the
Federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, alleging they worked in a racially hostile environment where racist death threats were left in MDW2 bathrooms against African American employees and workers were also allowed to wear Confederate clothing. Many workers, afraid for their safety have repeatedly asked Amazon management for updates on the investigation into their concerns but said there has been no response. To date there have been nearly 50 EEOC complaints filed by MDW2 workers.
Julio Cervantes from Chicago said he is standing in solidarity with all the Amazon employees.
“Enough is enough,” he said. “We work so hard and all we are asking is to be paid a fair wage and work in an environment where we are treated with respect. That is not asking for much.”
Other organizations in support of the warehouse workers who joined the protest were the Teamsters, Chicago teacher’s union in support of the workers continued push for better conditions and pay and Black Workers Matter, a worker center Chicago based organization.
