Minnesota Amazon Workers Plan Prime Day Strike Over Labor Conditions
Roughly 100 Amazon warehouse employees in Minnesota are walking out during Prime Day to protest productivity quotas and demand more full-time positions. This marks the first time American workers stage a strike during a major Amazon sales event.
About 100 Amazon warehouse workers in Shakopee, Minnesota are planning a six-hour walkout during Prime Day to demand better labor practices. The employees want the company to convert more temporary workers to full-time roles and relax productivity quotas that they claim create unsafe working conditions. Several engineers are joining the warehouse staff in a show of solidarity during this massive sales event.
The Awood Center, a workers’ rights advocacy group, leads this activism with backing from major unions and the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Amazon responds by stating that it already offers what the outside organization demands, pointing to hourly wages between $16.25 and $20.80 and noting that 90% of the Shakopee warehouse staff are full-time employees. However, workers argue that last year's $15 minimum wage increase falls short since the company simultaneously eliminated incentive pay and restricted stock unit grants.
While this walkout involves just one of over 100 US warehouses and likely does not disrupt Prime Day logistics, it serves as a historic milestone for American labor activism against Amazon. European employees frequently stage similar walkouts on major shopping days due to stronger unions, but this is the first time US workers strike during a major sales event. The protest also aligns with growing political scrutiny from Democratic presidential candidates who actively criticize Amazon's employment practices.