Amazon workers in Saint-Charles sign petition for better pay

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A group of Amazon workers delivered a petition Wednesday to management at a St. Charles fulfillment center for better wages and working conditions.

More than 350 people have signed the petition, according to the STL8 Fulfillment Center workers’ organizing committee.

“Now is the time for all Amazon workers to come together to demand the pay we need to support our families, and a workplace where we feel safe and have a voice in our work” said Kayla Breitbarth, who works at the center and is on the organizing committee.

Workers want a pay rise, raises for employees after training for additional roles and an end to the three-year cap on pay increases.

St. Charles employees are also asking for safety improvements. They were particularly frustrated after the death of six people when a tornado hit an Amazon facility in Edwardsville last year.

“The tornado that occurred in Edwardsville was an eye opener for all of us,” said George Davis, another employee and member of the organizing committee. “We started to really recognize that we weren’t safe.”

Several tornadoes in the Saint-Louis area in May highlighted again what the workers said was a chaotic response from management.

“We were all confused about what to actually do,” Jacob Frankenreiter, who worked at a facility in St. Peters for about three years, told St. Louis Public Radio in May. “Once the alerts went off, management didn’t know what to do. It took another 10-15 minutes for them to finally call, “OK, go take cover.”

Kate Grumke

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St. Louis Public Radio

On Wednesday, Amazon employees chanted after delivering a petition to the management of a center in Saint-Charles.

Organizers of Wednesday’s action said a culture of surveillance at the company forces them to rush through tasks, often resulting in injuries.

“You have to move at such a high pace and maintain your rhythm, and it’s literally not possible to pause and get the body position right,” Breitbarth said. “And that’s where all these injuries come from. Amazon doesn’t care. »

Amazon workers are not unionized, but local members and leaders of some unions have come out to show their support, including the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

The workers want a response to their petition within two weeks.

“We are always listening to the more than 3,000 employees who work at this site and welcome their feedback on ways to continue to make Amazon a great place to work,” the Amazon spokesperson said. , Richard Rocha, in a press release. “We are committed to providing a safe, modern and inclusive work environment as well as competitive wages and comprehensive benefits.”

A legislative proposal

Also Wednesday, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, who represents part of St. Louis, announced she was introducing legislation in response to deaths at the Edwardsville facility last year.

“Unfortunately, Amazon’s failure to protect its workers represents a pattern of corporate malpractice during climate disasters,” Bush said in a statement. “Big business alone cannot be trusted to ensure workers are protected from climate emergencies.”

A bill would require a federal worker safety agency to develop safety standards for wind, similar to recommendations that already exist for extreme heat. The the other would require companies to grant employees emergency paid leave, without retaliation, to seek shelter during climate disasters.

Follow Kate on Twitter: @KGrumke

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