workingclasshistory:

On this day, 30 March 2020, workers at the JFK8 Amazon distribution centre on Staten Island, NY, walked out on strike demanding better safety measures amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Organisers stated that 60 workers took part in the walkout, while Amazon claimed that only 15 participated. The workers were demanding the facility be shut down for cleaning, after other employees had tested positive for the disease.
Amazon then fired Chris Smalls, one of the organisers of the protest. The company claimed he was dismissed for breaching quarantine procedures, stating he did not self-quarantine for 14 days after coming into contact with an infected colleague. However Smalls pointed out that not only was this false as more than 14 days had passed, but, he told the Guardian’s Kenya Evelyn, no other employees who had worked with the infected person were quarantined.
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