Yahoo Finance WGA Urges Members To Support Amazon Warehouse Workers’ Bid To Unionize – See Who Has Signed Petition
UPDATED, 11:40 AM: More than 1,700 members of the WGA East and West have signed a petition supporting the unionizing efforts of Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, AL. Signers include Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, Adam McKay, Sarah Silverman, Alfonso Cuarón, David Simon, Michael Schur, Tony Kushner, Damon Lindelof, WGA West president David A. Goodman and WGA East president Beau Willimon.
See read the names of everyone who signed the petition, click here.
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PREVIOUSLY, February 23: The WGA West is urging its members to sign a petition in support Amazon Warehouse Workers in Bessemer, AL, who are trying to unionize there.
“Amazon’s streaming content is created by entertainment industry workers who are represented by guilds and unions,” the WGA West said. “Our unions help ensure fair treatment and compensation from the media giants that employ us. Amazon Warehouse workers – whose labor has allowed consumers to shop safely during the pandemic, generating soaring profits for the company – deserve representation too.”
The Amazon facility opened there last year, employing some 6,000 workers who are voting on whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Organizers hope that a “yes” vote will trigger a chain reaction to unionize Amazon warehouse workers across the country.
Actor Danny Glover spoke to workers there on Monday in support of their organizing efforts. “This moment is part of a continuous struggle in the making of this country – in the remaking of the South,” he said. “These workers are part of a legacy.”
The WGA West told its members. “Amazon is conducting a fierce anti-union campaign to try to defeat their historic effort,” As mail-in voting begins, they urgently need your support.”
The guild’s petition states: “We are the writers of feature films and television series. All of our work is done under union contracts whether it appears on Amazon Prime, a different streaming service, or a television network. Unions protect workers with essential rights and benefits. Most importantly, a union gives employees a seat at the table to negotiate fair pay, scheduling and more workplace policies. Amazon accepts unions for entertainment workers, and we believe warehouse workers deserve the same respect in the workplace. We strongly urge all Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer to VOTE UNION YES.”
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