ROCK TAVERN – Dissatisfied Amazon workers from the SWF1 warehouse in Rock Tavern united with Teamsters Local 445 at their headquarters Thursday night for an impassioned town hall meeting that shed more light on what they call the unsatisfactory working conditions perpetuated by Amazon.
With a little over 50 employees in attendance, it was noted that many workers couldn’t afford to forego working a second shift to attend.
Hosted by the Teamsters and the grassroots organization, For the Many, the meeting was a rally cry for workers who walked off the job last month, citing a long list of workplace ‘atrocities,’ including unfair pay, unsafe working conditions and the inability to becoming a full-time employee with health benefits.
The meeting also gave employees an opportunity to ask local lawmakers to stand with them as they mobilize against the corporate giant that also has warehouses and fulfillment centers in New Windsor and East Fishkill.
Javier Curillo, who works in the ship dock department at the Rock Tavern warehouse (SWF1) says Amazon workers are underpaid and are put at physical risk every day.
“People get hurt loading trucks they were never trained to load and, instead of teaching us, management finds more reasons to fire us. Many of us move 100 to 200 boxes an hour, clock out and work another 10-hour shift to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table,” said Curillo. “I know single mothers living in their cars, people who have been working here for over a year and still have not been converted to full time, which leaves them without healthcare or a path to higher pay, and that’s not right!”
Curillo says union organizers surveyed workers and found that over 80 percent of employees are struggling to pay for essentials, such as rent and food, while Amazon profited nearly $80 billion last year.
“Union rights are human rights! We have one of the largest companies in the world, refusing to honor that international doctrine,” said State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D, Saugerties). “So, when you work 60 hours a week, you’re still struggling to pay the rent. One of the biggest companies in the world is saying that if you get hurt on the job, that’s on you. Talk about disrespectful and inhumane.”
Dylan Salacia works at the Amazon Distribution Center in East Fishkill (SWF2) and is circulating a petition that demands fair pay, protection from management and targeted harassment, as well as compensation for required training.
Salacia noted that Amazon is ignoring the Warehouse Worker Protection Act that was signed into law by Governor Hochul in 2022.
“It’s not the American dream. It’s the American nightmare,” said Salacia. “Amazon likes to brag that it’s an equal opportunity employer. I think Amazon is an equal opportunity exploiter. This fight is one for the Hudson Valley but it’s also a national fight, and the Teamsters have our back.”
Union representatives say Amazon is doing everything it can to prevent employees from organizing and has spent tens of thousands of dollars to hire anti-union consultants.
“They have literally flown in union-busting professionals because they’re so scared that you all took that first brave step, to be the vanguard of something that’s going to change this whole community and ripple across this county,” said Congressman Pat Ryan (D-18). “They know that if it gains momentum, it will be unstoppable. That’s why they’re fighting back so hard and spending so much money to try and stop it.”
“Sadly, companies like Amazon set the rules of our economy, so when they speed up the belt, other companies, say—oh we can do that too. When Amazon cuts corners and doesn’t give a damn about worker safety, other corporations are watching and say–oh we can do that too,” said Dutchess County Legislator Lisa Kaul, who is running for the State Senate seat in District 39. “But here’s the good news–it works the other way too. So, when Amazon workers organize and win, it’s a win for workers everywhere.”
Amazon union organizers are asking employees to encourage fellow workers to join the fight and are asking local lawmakers to bring Amazon to the negotiating table.
“We can negotiate together for the conditions we deserve,” said Andrea Chandler-Benward, who works in the Rock Tavern fulfillment center. “We all deserve to come home healthy and be able to pay our bills and have something left for ourselves and the people we love.”
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