AMAZON WORKERS PRIMED TO STRIKE
MINNEAPOLIS — Workers at an Amazon warehouse in suburban Minneapolis said Monday they’ll hit the online retail and entertainment giant with a brief strike next Monday — its heavily touted “Prime Day” — in a continuing push to improve pay and working conditions for the facility’s heavily East African workforce.
The strike and rally in Shakopee are being organized by the Awood Center, a group that advocates for Somali and other East African workers. Awood, which means “power” in Somali, was formed as a partnership between the Minnesota chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations and Service Employees International Union Local 26. The Prime Day action won’t be the first time the Minnesota work- ers have banded together to press Amazon for change.
Workers at Amazon’s nonunion facilities in Minnesota began publicly complaining last year about harsh working conditions, increasing workloads, safety and limited advancement opportunities. They say management has failed to address their concerns. So they’ve called for a six-hour stoppage that will overlap the morning and evening shifts on Prime Day.
Organizer Guled Mohamad said wages are still too low and the pressure on workers to produce is still too high.
“We need change . ... We need something,” Mohamad said.
Prime Day is one of Amazon’s biggest days of the year, when it promotes membership in its premium shopping and entertainment service Amazon Prime.