An Instacart worker filling an order in a Chicago grocery store.
Credit...Laura McDermott for The New York Times March 31, 2020
On strike
Workers for the grocery delivery service Instacart and an Amazon warehouse in New York City walked off the job yesterday, while some Whole Foods employees have called for a “sick out” today. They want more safety measures and better pay to compensate for risk.
Instacart workers had several demands, including more disinfecting material, bigger tips and shares of delivery fees, and an expansion of sick pay, the NYT reports. It’s not clear how many workers participated — the company contends that it saw “absolutely no impact” to operations — but it was notable that salaried employees joined independent contractors.
The Amazon walkout was led by a worker who was alarmed that the company did not close the center after a colleague fell ill. Organizers say several dozen workers took part, while the company said fewer than 15 did. But the protest highlighted concerns about steps Amazon has taken to protect workers, including its inability to provide enough masks.
• The worker who helped organize the protest, Chris Smalls, was subsequently fired for what Amazon said were repeated violations of distancing guidelines.
Can this sort of organizing succeed? Jake Rosenfeld, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis, told the NYT that such actions were unusual in bad economic times. But he added that he was skeptical that these kinds of protests would achieve much without help from legislation or unions.
Workers for the grocery delivery service Instacart and an Amazon warehouse in New York City walked off the job yesterday, while some Whole Foods employees have called for a “sick out” today. They want more safety measures and better pay to compensate for risk.
Instacart workers had several demands, including more disinfecting material, bigger tips and shares of delivery fees, and an expansion of sick pay, the NYT reports. It’s not clear how many workers participated — the company contends that it saw “absolutely no impact” to operations — but it was notable that salaried employees joined independent contractors.
The Amazon walkout was led by a worker who was alarmed that the company did not close the center after a colleague fell ill. Organizers say several dozen workers took part, while the company said fewer than 15 did. But the protest highlighted concerns about steps Amazon has taken to protect workers, including its inability to provide enough masks.
• The worker who helped organize the protest, Chris Smalls, was subsequently fired for what Amazon said were repeated violations of distancing guidelines.
Can this sort of organizing succeed? Jake Rosenfeld, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis, told the NYT that such actions were unusual in bad economic times. But he added that he was skeptical that these kinds of protests would achieve much without help from legislation or unions.
No comments:
Post a Comment