Amazon employees are expected to walkout at its Seattle headquarters on Wednesday over frustrations with recent layoffs, a return-to-work order and the company's environmental impact.
The walkout is scheduled for Monday through Friday, at 1 p.m. PT.
As AECJ, we re walking out to tell leadership that climate action cannot be sidelined. When will Data Centers stop building pipelines? When is the idea to reduce emissions instead of increasing them every year? Amazon employees for Climate Justice AECJ, a climate change advocate group founded by Amazon employees, posted an e-mail.
Amazon's annual statement to investors said it's planning to deploy 100,000 electric delivery vehicles by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon by 2040. By 2030, walkout organizers say the company should do more and commit to zero emissions.
In a post on Medium, the group said that when Amazon listens to employees, it moves in the right direction. The walkout is intended to get that back on track. On the page to sign up for the walkout, Amazon's Remote Advocacy community leaders said that about 1,920 employees have pledged to walk out globally, with more than 900 in Seattle. Some were able to take part in virtual events.
The site included demands, such as that Amazon places climate at the forefront of decision-making and that it embraces the reality of remote and flexible work to remain an innovative company that attracts and retains world-class talent. This is about Amazon going in the wrong direction, and losing trust, the group said, noting that taking action as part of the walkout is legally protected activity. We respect our employees' rights to express their opinions, Amazon said in a statement to the AP last week.
The protest comes a month after the government instituted a rule that requires workers to return to work three days a week.
In February, Jassy said the company made the decision following observing what has worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting staff believed employees tended to be more engaged in person.
In a letter asking Amazon employees to commit their participation in the walkout, organizers said Amazon must return autonomy to its teams, who know their employees and customers best, to make the best choice on remote, in-person, or hybrid work, and to their employees to choose a team that enables them to work the way they work best. The move comes on the heels of massive layoffs, with Amazon cutting 27,000 jobs since November.