Calling on giant retailer to pay their taxes, treat workers with respect, and dump ALEC

During the afternoon rush hour on May 18th, several banners appeared over I-5 to bring attention to Amazon’s corporate tax dodging, mistreatment of workers, and support for the notorious right-wing group ALEC. This is just the first event in a week of action leading up to a major rally at Amazon’s May 24th shareholder meeting at the Seattle Art Museum. Click here for more info about the May 24th rally.

Our "Hello Amazon, Pay your taxes" banner was greeted with a chorus of supportive honks when we unveiled it over I-5.

Hundreds will rally outside Amazon's annual shareholder meeting on May 24th. Join us!

99% taking action all week…

Our week of banner-drops, book readings, tax dodgeball, visits to Amazon board members — and more — will culminate in a major rally outside Amazon’s annual shareholder meeting on May 24th. Watch this post for updates as the week of action continues.

As Amazon executives meet to celebrate their business successes, more than 500 workers, students, civil rights activists, people of faith, and more will gather outside the meeting to tell the company they need to do more to share their success with the communities and workers who make it possible.
Voices will also be raised inside the shareholder meeting to bring the issues directly before the executives and decision-makers who have chosen to take Amazon down an unaccountable path of tax-dodging, worker mistreatment, and support for ALEC, the infamous and extreme right-wing policy group. Click here for more info about the May 24th rally.

More information on Amazon 99% accountability issues:

Tax dodging: Recent figures from Citizens for Tax Justice reveal that Amazon paid an effective Federal increase rate last year of only 2.6%. They drove their rate so low by taking advantage of a loophole that gives them a $1 tax deduction for every $1 in stock options they give to executives. This continues a downward trend where their tax rate falls every year — from an 11.5% rate in 2008 to a 9.1% rate in 2009 and a 5.5% rate in 2010, despite solid profits. The corporate tax rate set in law is 35%.

Worker treatment: Two warehouse recently spoke out at the company’s headquarters about harsh conditions, including indoor temperatures that rose above 100 degrees. When workers collapsed from exhaustion, the company’s initial response was not to improve ventilation or install air conditioning, but simply to station paramedics outside.

Support for ALEC: Amazon is known to have been a “Director Level” sponsor of ALEC, the shadowy and extreme right-wing organization. In the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, ALEC has become notorious for its role in passing “Stand your ground” laws, as well as efforts to create tax loopholes, undermine workers rights, and make it harder for young people & people of color to vote. Now that the group has come under increased scrutiny, many large corporations — including McDonald’s, Kraft, and others — have publicly dropped support for ALEC. However, Amazon has so far refused to publicly renounce their support.

by Nate Jackson

Amazon HQ in South Lake Union is an homage to the company’s success—success made in part by taking unfair advantage of their warehouse workers.

Two former Amazon warehouse workers from the infamous Allentown “sweatshop” warehouse came to Seattle to talk directly to the executives in Amazon about the horrible working conditions the workers face.

Karen Salasky, a former employee who passed out from the sweltering warehouse heat, took to the stage overlooking more than a hundred community members who came out in support.

“I really wanted to work hard and do my work,” she said. “But when the heat kept going up, they didn’t do anything about it. It got over 100 degrees inside and instead of installing air conditioning they just had paramedics sit out there in the parking lot.”

Karen was one of many workers who were pushed to the point of exhaustion by the workloads and lack of proper safety concerns.

“This campus here is so pretty,” she said pointing out the new tall buildings. “I wonder how hot it is in there. Hey Jeff! How hot is it in your office?”

The crowd took up the chant yelling out “How hot is it?” up at the reflective glass of the newly constructed towers.

Amazon employees looked out from their offices and stopped as they came back from their lunch breaks. Many of them stayed for the entire event listening to their fellow employees who work for the same company, but are treated as second class employees.

Jim Herbold, a retired warehouse worker spoke to the crowd. He squinted in the sunlight and took the microphone.

“Ya know, I’ve always worked hard,” he started. “I take pride in my work, but these guys, they expect you to work till you drop. They treated us like we were just dispensable, worthless. They think they can just go and get another worker if this one falls down or passes out.”

He went on to explain that the warehouse in Allentown was always hiring and firing people.

“No one worked there longer than 6 months, I swear,” he said. “It was just in and out. They thought people in these tough times would just keep lining up for these bad jobs, but they’re wrong. People are starting to wise up. There’s no reason these jobs couldn’t be good jobs.”

Workers from local Teamsters 117 came out in support of the warehouse workers and the president, John Scearcy took to the stage to offer a few words.

“Working people have always known we were going to have to work hard,” he said. “We accept that. We just want our hard work to be rewarded, not with millions of dollars and crazy perks, just living wages, quality healthcare and the chance to take care of our families.”

The warehouse workers were interviewed by local media while the rest of us wrote our messages to Amazon in chalk on the privately owned public space in the middle of the campus.

One community member wrote “If you can ship me a book in one day you can treat your employees decently.”

Another asked the company to rethink its tax dodging ways.

One community member had an even simpler message: Shame.

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Update: This week we will be having mini actions around Amazon leading up to the May 24th shareholder meeting. Keep your eyes open for corporate tax dodgeball, public outreach and a special surprise having something to do with the Hammering Man at the Seattle Art Museum.

A new report on jobs at our airport has just been released by Working Washington, OneAmerica, Faith Action Network, and Puget Sound Sage. You can download a full copy of the report here:  First-class Airport, Povert-class Jobs: How the Port of Seattle and Alaska Airlines create prosperity for some and economic hardship for others.

Here is an excerpt.

Alaska Airlines sheds good jobs to increase profits

However, Alaska has not been generous with every worker responsible for its success.

A key component of the company’s strategy to increase profits has been to contract out increasing portions of its workforce and operations. In the last decade, the value of the work Alaska contracted out has grown from $82 million to $185.1 million.

Over the years, workers who loaded and unloaded bags, fueled jets and assisted passengers with special needs have gone from proudly wearing Alaska Airlines uniforms to wearing a panoply of ever-changing uniforms.

In an even more dramatic move, Alaska began to contract out entire west coast routes to SkyWest Airlines. The jet and the interior of the plane all bear Alaska insignias and color schemes and the only indicator that Alaska is not, in fact, the operator of these jets is a small “SkyWest” insignia on the fuselage.

The result, as well as the underlying purpose, of contracting out these services is lower operational costs through reduced wages, fewer benefits, and decreased job security for workers.

In 2005, Alaska Airlines executives began to subcontract with Menzies Aviation for baggage handling, also known as ramp services, claiming that it would save the company $13 million a year.

Until then, due to a hard-won collective bargaining agreement, Alaska baggage handlers earned an average of $15.59 per hour with a maximum pay of $23 per hour.

With the shift to Menzies, this relatively high wage standard soon plummeted.

Read the full report: First-class airport, Poverty-class Jobs

Amazon’s shiny new campus in South Lake Union shows off the success of the multi-billion dollar corporation. But what happens when customers click through the Amazon website and order something? That’s when thousands of warehouse workers get to work moving products — in conditions a lot less glitzy than you see in South Lake Union.

On Thursday, May 10, starting at 12 noon sharp at 410 Terry Ave N, come join us to hear from workers who flew out to Seattle to bring their stories straight to the company’s South Lake Union headquarters.

These workers have stories to tell. Their warehouse is the one that was exposed by investigative journalists for brutal working conditions — including temperatures that soared past 100 degrees in the summer, turning the warehouse into a literal sweatshop. Amazon’s initial response to the problem was to station paramedics outside the warehouse to handle cases of heat stroke.

It wasn’t until the story got out and public pressure mounted that the company put in air conditioning. That’s why we need you to show up. Public pressure on Amazon works and we need to keep it up.

Join us Thursday, May 10 right on the Amazon campus as we hear from the Pennsylvania workers who get the products moving from the computer screen to our front door. Let’s stand with the warehouse workers and tell Amazon to treat all its employees with respect, dignity and decency.

Send-off party for Allentown workers headed to Seattle to bring call for good jobs straight to Amazon executives 

THIS TUESDAY, workers from Amazon’s notorious Allentown warehouse are flying to Seattle to lead a rally at the company’s glitzy new headquarters. In Seattle they will bring their message from Amazon’s sweatshop warehouses to the company’s air-conditioned executive suites: it’s time for the giant retailer to deliver good jobs to the 99%.

Community supporters in Pennsylvania are hosting a send-off party to show support for one of these workers to wish her well as she gets ready to take her good jobs message to Amazon’s corporate headquarters in Seattle.

When: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 1:00 pm

Where: Lehigh Valley International Airport, 3311 Airport Road, Allentown

What/Visuals: Send-off party for Karen Salasky, a worker from Amazon’s notorious Allentown warehouse. Karen is flying out to Seattle to help lead a rally at the company’s corporate headquarters in Seattle, where she will speak out about working conditions at the Allentown warehouse and present a giant copy of a “Warehouse Workers Bill of Rights”.

Amazon’s Allentown warehouse became notorious last year for brutal working conditions after a landmark article in the Morning Call. When workers collapsed from exhaustion as indoor temperatures rose above 100 degrees and the warehouse became a literal sweatshop, the company’s initial response was not to increase ventilation or install air conditioning, but simply to station paramedics outside.

Karen Salasky of Allentown was at the warehouse and saw these conditions — and that’s why she’s headed to Seattle.

“I’m going to Amazon’s Seattle headquarters,” Karen explained, “to tell Amazon the way they treat their warehouse employees isn’t right.”

In Seattle, Karen will take her call for good jobs directly to Amazon’s executives, employees, and hometown community. Along with a second former warehouse worker from Allentown, she’ll join more than a hundred community supporters in Seattle at Amazon’s corporate headquarters. Together, they’ll call on the giant retailer to share its success with the workers who get the goods moving from customers’ virtual shopping carts to their real-world doorsteps.

If Amazon can generate enough wealth to make CEO Jeff Bezos one of the 30 richest people in the world, they can afford to create good jobs in Allentown, not abandon workers to sweatshop conditions.

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Contact: Sage Wilson, 206-227-6014, sage@workingwa.org

by Nate Jackson

Hundreds of airport workers, their families and community members came out on a sunny Saturday to say one simple thing: let’s make every airport job a good job.

We gathered at the flag pavilion where we set up a stage flanked by large standing flags of over twenty nations representing the diverse cultural backgrounds of the airport workers.

One worker, a yellow cab taxi driver named Gurminder Kahlon, took to the stage and greeted the large cheering crowd with a traditional Indian greeting “Namaskar,” which roughly translates to “not just me.”

“I’m from India,” he said. “But this isn’t about what country we’re from. It’s about how we are all in this together.”

Kahlon is a taxi driver whose route includes the airport. A large contingent of taxi drivers gave a loud shout as he continued.

“We taxi drivers see it everyday,” he said. “We see the injustice of the airport towards the workers and we stand with you!”

The crowd was a rainbow of nationalities, ethnicities, cultures and ages. The crowd was young and old, black and white all standing together for one solid idea—justice. It was beautiful.

Rahwa Habte from One America surrounded by youth volunteers took the stage and started her speech with loud tongue flickering whoops.

“This is how we celebrate from Eritrea where I’m from,” she said. “I want to hear your cultural shouts too on the count of three let your voices be heard!”

At the count of three, cries, shouts, clapping and hollers rang out from every person in the crowd. it was a cheerful cacophony, but nothing was louder than the feeling of jubilation and unity.

That was the feeling that permeated the entire event. Everyone felt together and joined in solidarity with the airport workers who were fighting to make every airport job a good job.

Taxi Drivers stand in solidarity with other Airport Workers

There were staff and members from SeaTac city council, Seattle city council, the Seattle mayor’s office and both senator’s offices as well. Congressman Adam Smith spoke to the crowd from the stage about his own familial roots with labor. His father was a ramp worker who was able to support his family.

“We need middle class jobs,” he said. “And middle class jobs come with strong unions, fired up workers and a strong community.”

We couldn’t agree more. We came to the grassy area south of the flag pavillon to stand with workers and show solidarity; but it wasn’t just to pat each other on the back. We wanted to take the message to the street–so we did.

The taxi drivers lead the procession in their taxi cabs like a people’s version of a presidential motorcade. We spilled out onto International Boulevard and started down the street waving flags, chanting and dancing to the various drums scattered throughout the crowd.

We made our way down International Boulevard brandishing our international flags towards Angle Lake Park.

When we arrived there were homemade samosas made by the taxi drivers, soda, chips and other various food as we ended our march and started the after party. Music blared, dancing sprung up and groups of workers and their families spread out to enjoy the park while workers and community members mingled around the refreshments.

News media was in attendance and started interviewing workers while the rest of us kept up our celebration.

It was empowering and the workers felt the community support. They now know that the community will stand with them as they continue their struggle for fair treatment at our airport.

It is our airport and every job should be a good job.

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

CONTACT: Sage Wilson, sage@workingwa.org

What about Amazon’s ALEC risk? The question not asked on today’s quarterly earnings call.

Swirling controversy around Amazon’s involvement with ALEC threatens retailers’ reputation

As Amazon announced better-than-expected quarterly earnings, one key question about Amazon’s future outlook went un-asked on their quarterly earnings call:

What about the reputational risk presented by the swirling controversy around Amazon’s involvement with ALEC?

Amazon has been the subject of increasing controversy over its ties to ALEC, the shadowy & extreme right-wing policy organization. ALEC itself has come under increased public scrutiny in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, due to ALEC’s role in spreading Stand Your Ground legislation, along with other policies that would reduce worker protections, expand tax loopholes, gut environmental protections, and make it harder for young people & people of color to vote.

Amazon is known to have been a “Director Level” supporter of ALEC’s 2011 Annual Meeting. Under intense public pressure, growing numbers of big companies — from Kraft to McDonald’s to Coca-Cola — have announced they are severing ties to ALEC. However, despite thousands and thousands of petition signatures and growing pressure being mounted at the local and national level by groups ranging from Color of Change to Working Washington, Amazon has so far failed to renounce its ties to ALEC.

It is clear that Amazon’s continued relationship with ALEC presents considerable risks to Amazon’s public reputation and could threaten to impact future sales — and the public controversy and demands for accountability are only growing in volume and intensity.

More information:

* Details of Amazon & ALEC’s relationship: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Amazon

* “Amazon end your support of ALEC” petition: http://action.workingwa.org/page/signup/amazonoutofalec

Working Washington is bringing people together to fight for a fair economy — and that means holding corporations like Amazon accountable to pay their fair share and make sure all the jobs they create are good jobs. It’s time to stop the cuts to education, health care, and other services so we can build an economy that works for everyone, not just the top 1%. For more information, visit WorkingWa.org

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The word is getting out. TV news stories, petitions, billboards and more are all spreading the word about the poverty wage jobs at our airport. Now it’s time for the next step, a major rally where airport workers and community members will come together to stand up for good jobs at our airport.

Be a part of it this Saturday, April 28^th starting at NOON 12 pm. Meet at the Flag Pavillon at the Sea-Tac Airport across from the Radisson Hotel.

Thousands of people get paid only poverty wages for work they do at our airport. These are the workers who move the bags, help passengers with disabilities get to their destinations, clean the cabins between flights, and fuel the planes. These are people who help make our airport work.

Lots of the folks who work at our airport are immigrants and refugees. They came to Seattle from all over the world for a better life for their families. They deserve our support as they fight for basic rights, decent pay and workplace respect.

The good news is that together we can help support their efforts to change their situation for the better.

On Saturday, April 28^th NOON, join airport workers, their families and community groups for a rally, march and celebration at the flag pavilion, right across from the Radisson Hotel, in SeaTac.

Let’s make all airport jobs good jobs.

by Nate Jackson

On Tax Day the 99% took to the streets to show big corporate tax dodgers extraordinaires like Amazon and Wells Fargo that they were on notice.  Thousands of people across the country participated as workers, concerned citizens and community groups came together to address some of the fundamental problems facing all of us, big corporations not paying their fair share.

There were protests in Spokane and Yakima who went after some of our representatives who have seemed to forget that the representatives work for us, not corporations.

Here in Seattle we had some pie.

Hundreds marched from Westlake Park first to Wells Fargo, the foreclosure specialists, to tell the big bank that it needs to pay their fair share.  The 99% erected huge foreclosure tape banners around the Wells Fargo building and held a live auction of some of the big banks assets.

The auction took facts from the giant bank and put them up for sale, facts like the ridiculously high compensation of Wells Fargo CEO Stumpf.

It’s a shame that our big corporations would rather invest in lobbyist and take advantage of loopholes than pay their fair share and give back to our communities.