On Friday, May 1, workers at Target, Amazon, and its subsidiary, Whole Foods, went on strike to protest their working conditions. Workers for Instacart and Shipt also participated in the “sick-out.” The workers coordinated by all calling in sick on Friday, protesting working conditions they deemed unsafe during the COVID pandemic.
Primary among their grievances were the working conditions, as well as their lack of paid sick leave. Signs held up by activists read “Our health is just as essential,” referencing their designation as “essential” workers.
At the end of April, Amazon ended their long-standing unlimited unpaid time off policy. Some workers speculated that this means Amazon was aware of the planned sick-out, and moved to block it in whatever way they could.
If workers call in sick and they don’t have unpaid time off, Amazon fires them on the spot. Amazon typically has no difficulty in filling individual positions. They are normally one of the highest-paying “unskilled” jobs in working-class areas. However, the company would risk massive breaks in the supply chain if it fired everyone involved in an organized strike.
Amazon has come under scrutiny due to labor disputes during the pandemic. In March, they fired Chris Smalls, an assistant manager at one of Amazon’s warehouses in New York. Amazon maintains they fired Smalls for violating social distancing guidelines. Smalls insists they fired him for organizing a protest of the warehouse’s working conditions.
An Amazon spokesperson stated in an email,
“While we respect people’s right to express themselves, we object to the irresponsible actions of labor groups in spreading misinformation and making false claims about Amazon during this unprecedented health and economic crisis.” The claims that Amazon denies include allegations that the warehouses are not properly cleaned.
Other companies’ employees also planned protests for May 1. Target employees, as well as Whole Foods, Shipt and Instacart employees have all participated. Much like the Amazon employees, they’re protesting the working conditions of their jobs.
In the case of Target, many workers claim that the stores are allowing too many people inside. They have also alleged that the stores are not doing enough to enforce social distancing guidelines. Whether organizing by text message, cellular push to talk or just word of mouth, the protests have managed to spread to more than 100 stores and several distribution centers.
A Target spokesperson told reporters,
“While we take them seriously, the concerns raised are from a very small minority. The vast majority of our more than 340,000 frontline team members have expressed pride in the role they are playing in helping provide for families across the country during this time of need.”
