Amazon employees are going on strike over working conditions amid coronavirus.
Amazon employees in Staten Island , New York, plan to walk out of their jobs as the company fails to properly respond to new requirements to reduce the spread of the coronavirus .
The workers are protesting Amazon's decision to keep its Staten Island facility open despite a confirmed case last week, said Christian Smalls, an assistant manager at the facility. Smalls is leading the strike.
Many more employees have tested positive for the virus, but the company has not publicly reported all cases. According to Smalls, at least five out of seven employees have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
On the other hand, an Amazon spokesperson said Sunday night that the company's top priority is the health and safety of its employees.
The spokesperson said the company has taken precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of customers and employees.
"We believe direct communication is the best method, and our teams speak directly with employees every day to listen to their questions and discuss the options available in this ever-changing environment," the spokesperson said.
The Amazon employee strike was scheduled for today at 12:30 p.m.
"The plan is to stop all work until the building is closed and disinfected," Smalls told CNN. "We're not asking for much. We're asking for the building to be closed and disinfected and we get paid."
Before deciding to strike, Smalls asked the unit's general manager for help every day, but received no response.
Smalls said he hopes Amazon will respond quickly, as facilities like this one are “breeding grounds for the pandemic.” Workers are being asked to work until they test positive for the virus, Smalls said. But because of the coronavirus’s potentially delayed incubation period, someone can be a carrier without knowing it and infect others. So if they wait for that to happen, the situation will get out of hand. Smalls added that he has tried to reach out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the office of New York GovernorAndrew Cuomo, but has not yet heard back.
Amazon's precautionary measures include daily temperature checks of employees upon entering the Staten Island facility.
In an interview with CNN's Brian Stelter on Sunday, Jay Carney, Amazon's vice president, said the safety of the company's employees is "our primary concern."
“This is our primary concern, which is ensuring that Amazon employees (more than 500,000) in the United States are protected as much as they can and are doing this heroic work for their fellow citizens,” Carney said. He added: “We have also informed employees that if they are not feeling well, if they are concerned about their health, they can take unpaid leave through the end of April, without any repercussions. We do not want anyone to feel like their job is dependent on them coming to work during this critical time.”
Amazon recently said that workers who fall ill or are quarantined will receive two weeks of paid leave. Amazon contractors who test positive for the virus can also apply for two weeks of paid leave. The company has set up a fund to cover the needs of affected employees.
Amazon also said it is taking “extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees.” This includes regularly disinfecting door handles, elevator buttons, lockers, and touchscreens, among other things.
In addition, employees are asked to keep their distance during work .
