Episode 15: Chris Smalls and The People Vs. Amazon
“Our mission is to create a rank and file democracy of essential workers… to get enough workforce behind us that we have more power than Congress itself…
“Until we have enough power to tell Amazon or any employer we’re not going to work unless you meet our demands.”
From tcoew.org : The Congress of Essential Workers (T.C.O.E.W.) is a collective of essential workers and allies across the United States coming together under a common goal: to support each other in a fight for better working conditions, better wages, and a better world. T.C.O.E.W. was founded by Chris Smalls, a former Amazon warehouse manager who was fired by the company after organizing a protest against the company’s abysmal handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put hundreds of thousands of workers at risk without proper PPE and social distancing regulations.
The TCOEW Vision:
A living wage
All workers are shareholders
Job security
Paid sick leave and hazard pay at full pay rate Free healthcare
No wage cap
1-hour lunch breaks
PPE to be provided at all times
Childcare
Monthly bonuses
To support Chris Smalls: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-chris-smalls-who-was-fired-by-amazon
For more info: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/02/dear-jeff-bezos-amazon-instead-of-firing-me-protect-your-workers-from-coronavirus , https://twitter.com/Shut_downAmazon and https://tcoew.org/about/
Which side are YOU on?
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Episode #15 Notes
0:45 - What kind of jobs have you had as an essential worker?
1:45 - When did you start at Amazon, and what kind of work did you do?
2:30 - How did Amazon initially react to COVID and what motivated you to speak out and organize your fellow workers?
4:15 - What was Amazon’s reaction to you speaking out?
5:15 - What kind of action did you start taking?
8:00 - What was the response from your co-workers and the immediate community with regards to your organizing and advocacy?
9:15 - How did Amazon benefit from a lack of regulatory oversight?
11:00 - What is the Congress of Essential Workers and how was it founded?
12:30 - What is the mission, vision, and demands of the Congress of Essential Workers?
14:15 - What are some of the current campaigns and immediate goals of your organization?
15:45 - Are you still in touch with your coworkers?
17:15 - How can our listeners support your work?
18:30 - What do you think should be done about Amazon?
19:45 - What does a just and fair food system or economy look like to you?
22:30 - What are you reading right now?
The Cost of Free Shipping, Jake Alimahomed-Wilson and Ellen Reese
On The Clock, Emily Guendelsberger
