Staten Island Worker Accuses Amazon of Unfair Labor Practices

NEW YORK, N.Y.—A worker fired from the fulfillment center on Staten Island filed unfair labor practiceAmazon charges with the National Labor Relations Board March 20, saying he was sacked for union activity. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which has been trying to organize workers at the warehouse, filed the charges on behalf of Justin Rashad Long, who was terminated in February for alleged safety violations. “Amazon fired me after I spoke out about bad working conditions,” Long said in a statement released by the RWDSU. “My getting fired is a clear act of retaliation.” An Amazon spokeswoman told the Staten Island Advance that Long’s allegations were false, saying that “his employment was terminated for violating a serious safety policy” and that company employees have “the ability to communicate directly with the leadership of the company.” “Instead of firing Rashad, Amazon should have listened to him and addressed the specific issues that he and other workers raised,” said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum. Read more