Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) warehouse workers in Staten Island plan to strike on Monday to call attention to the lack of protections for employees who continue to come to work amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Nearly 100 workers at the facility, called JFK8, plan to participate in the work stoppage. The employees will walk out Monday morning and "cease all operations" until their demands are heard by site leadership, one of organizers of the job action.
Amazon associates said they’ve grown increasingly concerned about coming into work after an employee tested positive for the virus there last week. An Amazon spokesperson told the media it was supporting the individual who is in quarantine and asked anyone who was in contact with the individual to stay home with pay for two weeks. The facility has remained open.
The workers want the strike to put pressure on Amazon to close the facility for cleaning and offer employees paid time off while it’s shut down.
One organizer said the facility has continued to run as usual since the employee tested positive. He fears the virus will spread like “wildfire” if no extra precautions are taken. JFK8 employs 4,500 workers and spans 855,000 square feet.
One Amazon spokesperson added that the health and safety of workers is "top priority." The company has increased the frequency and intensity of cleanings multiple times a day at facilities, while encouraging that employees follow social distancing rules.
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