DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — More than a dozen metro Amazon workers say they walked out on the job to demand higher wages and more of a focus on safety.
“Pay us or chaos,” Amazon workers said.
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The workers walked out during one of Amazon’s most important weeks.
“Prime week, hit them where it hurt,” Atlas Younger said.
Younger was one of the workers at the Doraville distribution center who says they walked out Wednesday morning at around 7 a.m.
They say the “Prime Week” sales at Amazon led to managers pushing them to meet new quotas at the expense of safety.
“We want a safer and better working environment where we’re treated like human beings and not machines,” Younger said.
The group demanded a $3 raise.
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“Bare minimum $18 an hour — that’s barely livable wage. But you know, that’s what we want,” Younger said
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson told Channel 2:
“While we respect their right to [gather], it’s important to note that we provide full-time employees at our Doraville site a minimum starting wage of $15.80 an hour - twice the local minimum wage.”
Channel 2 Action News went inside a Stone Mountain distribution center in 2021, where we interviewed employees who praised the company.
The spokesperson goes on to say:
“So, while we’re always listening and always looking at ways to improve, we remain proud of the pay, benefits and working conditions we already provide our teams in Doraville.”
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Younger doesn’t know how much longer they will stay with Amazon but says quitting isn’t as easy for everyone as it may sound.
“Some people don’t have that option. Like me, I didn’t have the option at the time,” she said.
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