(CC) 2005 James Duncan Davidson
The Seattle Human Rights Commission sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on June 4 asking him to address human rights concerns of the security officers protecting Amazon's employees and headquarters.
Nearly two months later, Bezos has failed to respond.
Now all nine Seattle councilmembers have authored a follow-up letter to the tech mogul, reaffirming the commission's concerns and asking Amazon to take full responsibility for ensuring respect for human rights and national labor law.
Seattle council members put it best when they told Bezos:
Our economy is strengthened when we build from the middle out. Our environment is healthier when people can live near where they work. Our community is more vibrant when working people can afford to live in the city. These goals are advanced when workers can choose whether or not to join a union, free from fear of retaliation.
Read the City Council's full letter here.
Tell Jeff Bezos to protect the security officers who protect Amazon!
The work environment is a cultu
re of fear and intimidation," said Lawrence Clark, an SIS security officer who works at Amazon. "I panic when I see supervisors, because I know they could fire me for just about anything. I have already been written up and reprimanded for minor mistakes I made while still learning the job."
The unstable work environment applies to how SIS enforces sick leave rules, too. "I was fired in December after my daughter was sick," said former SIS officer Richell Banks. "I was late trying to find her a babysitter, but I still made it into work that day. It didn't matter; they fired me a week later.
"It's not fair. SIS doesn't provide its officers with adequate sick leave or healthcare, and then fired me when my family was at a low point. I'm a mom, and I am a good worker, and I was unemployed for five months."
Read coverage of the Seattle City Council letter from Geek Wire, Business Week, and the Seattle Weekly.