SHAKOPEE, Minn. — With more than 1 million items expected to be included in the sale, Amazon Prime Day has turned into a national event. It's a big day for shoppers to score some deals, but while people are filling up their online carts, a group of Minnesota Amazon workers will go on strike.
From 4 p.m to 6 p.m., a group of workers will rally outside the Amazon Fulfillment center in Shakopee to demand better working conditions.
The Awood Center, which is located in Minneapolis and works to empower East African workers, says the group has been organizing for 18 months. They say the employees want their jobs to be safe and more reliable. And they want to be better respected in the workplace.
This is not the first time Shakopee Amazon employees have rallied. In December 2018, a group picketed because they called the working conditions "inhumane."
In May of this year, three workers filed a discrimination complaint, saying they were denied promotions and training that went to white workers and were assigned more difficult tasks.
At Monday's rally, the Shakopee employees choosing to strike will be joined by a group of Amazon employees from Seattle, who will demand the company take action on climate change.
Amazon sent the following statement to KARE 11:
“The fact is Amazon offers already what this outside organization is asking for. We provide great employment opportunities with excellent pay – ranging from $16.25-$20.80 an hour, and comprehensive benefits including health care, up to 20 weeks parental leave, paid education, promotional opportunities, and more. We encourage anyone to compare our pay, benefits, and workplace to other retailers and major employers in the Shakopee community and across the country – and we invite anyone to see for themselves by taking a tour of the facility.”