Amazon fires warehouse worker who led Staten Island strike for more coronavirus protection

[catsudon]

Source: cnbc

Amazon has fired a Staten Island warehouse worker who organized a strike to demand greater protections for employees amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Chris Smalls, a management assistant at the facility, known as JFK8, said he was fired Monday afternoon following the strike. Smalls and other employees walked out to call attention to the lack of protections for warehouse workers. The workers are also urging Amazon to close the facility after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The organizers said that at least 50 people joined the walkout

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/amazon-fires-staten-island-coronavirus-strike-leader-chris-smalls.html

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I expected this from Amazon

[ck4829]

1. Stand tall, Mr. Smalls.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Jeff Bezos: yer killin' me, Smalls!

The cost of PPE and other control measures don't threaten my position as richest man in the world, but it still chaps my ass to pay for it.

[rickyhall]

3. The richest man in the world is just another slimy capitalist.

All capitalists are not slimy, just the dicks likes Bezos & the Kochs.

[PETRUS]

21. Capitalists are just people.

So, yeah, not necessarily slimy. Capitalism, on the other hand, is a slimy system, full stop.

[Sherman A1]

4. Amazon may easily find itself

Confronting both New York and Federal labor laws in the not too distant future.

[duforsure]

5. This will eventually hurt Amazon

Especially when others start up similar companies serving the people online, and there is a better choice where they do take care of their employees.

[3Hotdogs]

6. GF Me for the guy?

He deserves it.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

7. Hmm so he wanted safety at his workplace but

refusing to remain quarantined after coming into close contact with an associate who tested positive for the virus

[melm00se]

8. Help me understand

why this is out of bounds based upon this:

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that Smalls was fired, saying he received “multiple warnings” for violating social distancing guidelines and refusing to remain quarantined after coming into close contact with an associate who tested positive for the virus.

“Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite today, March 30, further putting the teams at risk,” the spokesperson said. “This is unacceptable and we have terminated his employment as a result of these multiple safety issues.”

He came into close contact with someone diagnosed.
He was told to stay home and self quarantine, with pay, for 2 weeks.
He came into work and risked additional spread.

I'd've fired him whether he advocated for a strike or not.

[Fullduplexxx]

9. Is it true?

[melm00se]

10. That was the Amazon statement

as reported in the article (as well as a number of others that I read).

[Fullduplexxx]

11. And it was a well crafted statement

[melm00se]

12. and, arguably, so is his

“Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us, our families, and our communities safe,” Smalls said in a statement. “I am outraged and disappointed, but I’m not shocked. As usual, Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe.”

So which is to be believed? As Mr. Smalls' statement, like the Amazon one, hits very specific points with very specific language and intonation.

[Politicub]

13. A "spokesman" is usually from the public relations team

I would take anything coming from PR with a grain of salt.

[Igel]

15. That's true for anybody motivated, with a goal.

Which is why in courts we usually try to have at least two sides presented, and then (if principle, at least) try to use reason and logic and evidence to sort out who's telling the whole truth, who's telling partial truth, who's bending the truth so it's still recognizable, and who's making up stuff. And then go from there.

As soon as you see anybody saying, "We need to believe __________" in an argument based on ideology, there's no justice or truth involved, just Justice and Truth (which usually means "what my group wants, likes, and finds useful" ... People are people).

[TexasBushwhacker]

24. Were the multiple warnings in writing, with Smalls acknowledging them?

If not, Bezos can go fuck himself.

[Bengus81]

14. If true he should have stayed home and contacted CNN,MSNBC and others

[BigmanPigman]

16. Fuck Amazon, Whole Foods and Instacart for treating

employees' health concerns seriously. Bezos...richest man in the world!!!!

I would have walked out over safety/health concerns. In fact I did get sick at work place and had to go to the teachers union to get action (they saved my life too). My school district gave me a can of Lysol for black mold and no windows to open for fresh air. The teachers' union had the whole building destroyed since it was so filled with mold. I was really harassed by the district for the rest of my career after that.

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Wow! Sorry That Happened

I don't get what part of "healthy workers are productive workers" some managers don't understand.

[BigmanPigman]

18. It all comes down to $$$$$

and doesn't matter if adults AND kids get sick. During the month I was in that contaminated classroom my first graders and I were showing each other how to use our inhalers. I had to sleep sitting up and have permanent damage. I had to stop teaching since I was continually getting sick afterwards and my doctors finally made me leave...retirement/disability. Now I live on a very small income since not enough years worked and pay tons for the ACA. And they had the nerve to harass me for over 10 years after they did this to me. I was the union rep at my site and the admin and district was merciless and followed me whenever I changed schools (black listed).

If I were still teaching I would have walked out 4 weeks ago! Really.

[ProfessorGAC]

19. The Schools Here Shut Down on the 13th

Illinois wasn't very hard hit until into March. That 2nd week, court was still in session. I was on a jury!
Trial was over and I subbed Friday the 13th. The rumor the gov was going to close schools was palpable.
At least that was 18 days ago, but not 4 weeks!

[BigmanPigman]

20. Friday the 13th...

that would have made me twice as worried I'd get it during jury duty.

[catsudon]

23. im begging to think

these company are only being "liberal" to make money....

[Joinfortmill]

22. I'm not surprised