NEW YORK — As shoppers flock to stores and search online for the best Black Friday deals, union activists took to the streets of New York City to join a global demonstration against retailer Amazon.
One of the “Make Amazon Pay” rallies took place on Friday right outside one of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Manhattan homes. Workers and union activists, many from the Retail and Wholesale Department Store Union (RWDSU), say they want shoppers to stick to Amazon’s deals and spend their money on small, local businesses.
Kathryne Harper was among the protesters demanding better working conditions and wages for Amazon workers. She says she doesn’t work for the company but at a bookstore in Williamsburg.
“I get asked all the time if the price matches Amazon,” Harper said. “The answer is always no.”
“I have to tell you that we charge full price for books because our workers get things like bathroom breaks and fair wages,” she added.
Amazon workers in about 40 countries have reported planning strikes or strikes. Earlier this year, Amazon workers in Staten Island voted to unionize in a historic victory for organized workers, even as the company has spent millions trying to shut down these efforts.
“Workers are tired of being treated like a disposable commodity,” RWDSU’s Stuart Appelbaum told NBC New York.
An Amazon spokesperson says the company is doing many things right, including tackling climate change with its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2040.
“While we are not perfect in any area, if you look objectively at what Amazon is doing on these important issues, you will see that we take our role and impact very seriously,” said Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokeswoman.
