Greed, racism and the uphill battle for workers’ rights at Amazon | Salon Talks

Three years after he was fired from Amazon, Chris Smalls shares with Salon why he is fighting for Amazon workers to get a union contract, as the founder and president of the Amazon Labor Union. Smalls’ journey from warehouse worker, to local organizer, to now the international face of Amazon workers’ rights movement is one of the subjects of the documentary film, “Americonned,” available on VOD.
Smalls shares what working conditions are like at an Amazon fulfillment center. "It's sort of like solitary confinement,” he said. “You only have a short amount of time for breaks.” And his unpleasant experiences with founder Jeff Bezos. The main goal for now, though, is getting a union contract, Smalls said. “We want a contract and that's what we're fighting for right now-to have that be the first contract in American history for Amazon workers.”
Chapters:
00:00 Becoming a labor organizer
04:39 What motivates Smalls
06:13 “Americonned” film
07:49 Calling out established unions
10:09 Getting a contract
12:20 Building international solidarity
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[@awesomelife3710]

This man has already accomplished more than some people accomplish in ten lifetimes. Grateful there are people like him who actually understand how to make a difference in workers’ lives.