Amazon’s dystopian antiunion working conditions are not what Philadelphians deserve | Opinion

Over the last two months, I’ve spent about five weeks in Bessemer, Ala., chronicling the fight for unionization at an Amazon warehouse, interviewing workers, chatting with organizers, and documenting their struggle. The stories these workers shared with me broke my heart, and filled me with rage.

Hearing workers like Jennifer Bates, Darryl Richardson, Linda Burns, and Emmit Ashford describe the pain, misery, and humiliation that come with working in one of Jeff Bezos’ mega-warehouses underlined the dangers of Amazon’s model of constant surveillance, constant pressure, and constant motion. These are good, kindhearted, hardworking people who just want what’s fair, who want to thrive instead of merely clinging to survival — and in response to their union drive, Amazon pulled out every union-busting tactic in the book (and invented a few new ones) to terrify, mislead, and bully its coworkers into voting no.

Several of the workers I spoke with most often were in and out of medical leave due to repetitive stress injuries they sustained on their 10-hour shifts, during which they’re required to move as quickly as possible and lift heavy items (remember those 30-pound bags of dog food and cat litter you ordered? A 51-year-old woman with tendinitis packed them up for you). Others keep up second jobs to make ends meet, because Amazon’s heavily promoted $15-an-hour starting wage doesn’t actually go very far once you try to make a living off of it, or were forced to deal with widespread sexual harassment and rampant sexism on the job. All the while, Amazon pays local police to patrol the employee parking lot, subjects workers to random security pat-downs, and tracks their every movement inside the warehouse, including on their infrequent bathroom breaks and pitifully short lunch breaks.

» READ MORE: Amazon now encircles the Philadelphia region with over 50 warehouses

It’s grim, and dystopian, and awful — and if we’re not careful, it’s going to happen right here in our own backyards.

Philadelphians are already used to seeing Amazon’s smirky little logo all over the place, and for many, the e-commerce giant became a lifeline as the pandemic made in-person shopping difficult. There are already more than 50 Amazon facilities in the greater Philadelphia area, spread throughout South Jersey, the Lehigh Valley, and in the city itself. Amazon delivery vans are a constant sight making their daily rounds throughout the city, and in September 2020, Amazon leased a newly built warehouse in Northeast Philadelphia’s Byberry East Industrial Park, where it plans to open a distribution center. The company is the second-largest employer in the country, and has outdone itself to keep its 800,000 workers from organizing or advocating for themselves.

More recently, rumors have been flying that the company is eyeing property in Southwest Philly, a process that may end up sidelining the city’s plans for a SEPTA depot on Elmwood Avenue. Amazon’s proposal for a 140,000-square-foot “last mile” logistics center is focused on a former General Electric factory that the corporate behemoth plans to transform into a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse and shipping operation beginning in June. Some have welcomed the idea, pointing to the jobs it may bring into an area of the city that is struggling with high unemployment; others aren’t so sure, and after what I witnessed in Bessemer, I’ll add my voice to the opposing chorus.

Yes, the company’s ballyhooed $15 wage is higher than Philadelphia’s pathetic $7.25 minimum (which remains the federal and state minimum wage, the same as it is in Alabama), and the company does offer some benefits to its workforce. Jobs aren’t exactly growing on trees right now, and especially with the eviction moratorium set to expire next month, workers and unemployed people are feeling the crunch. It’s understandable that the city would leap at the chance to bring in more employment opportunities, but at what cost?

I’d never fault someone for taking what seems like the best option available to feed themselves and their loved ones. My warning is for the city government and those who wield power here: Think about whom you’re inviting in. Amazon may bring in a few hundred new jobs, but how will those workers fare once they step inside that shiny, impenetrable new warehouse? How will Amazon’s wages — which are actually quite low for the difficult, dangerous labor of warehouse work — affect those at other local companies? Philadelphia is a union town, and this deeply antiunion mega-company has just spent millions to steal a union election in the Deep South. What’s to stop it from trying the same dirty tricks up here? Amazon has shown us who and what it is. Despite all of the flowery press releases and snarky Twitter retorts, it’s clear that all Amazon cares about is money, human cost be damned.

Simply put, Philadelphians deserve better than what Jeff Bezos is offering.

Kim Kelly is an independent labor reporter, freelance journalist, and author currently based in South Philadelphia. She’s working on her first book, FIGHT LIKE HELL: An Unladylike History of Labor in the U.S.