Kentucky Amazon workers determined to unionize flew into Seattle for a protest outside The Spheres in South Lake Union.
The rally kicked off Saturday at 11 a.m. Outgoing Seattle City Councilmember, Kshama Sawant organized the demonstration.
Dozens attended to show support for Amazon employees who work at KCVG, the tech giant’s largest air hub. Freight planes departing that Kentucky facility carry Amazon packages across the world. Disgruntled employee, Steven Kelley complains conditions at KCVG are brutal.
“All they care about is making sure the planes go out on time,” said Kelley. “They don’t care about our safety.”
Kelley and his co-workers claim there are many safety risks when working alongside live jet engines and heavy machinery. They believe the starting pay in this line of work, $19/hour is simply not enough. They’re demanding a “living wage” of $30/hour.
An Amazon, a spokesperson sent the following statement in response to the rally:
“Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union. They always have. As a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer - we think having a direct relationship with employees ensures open communication and allows us to resolve issues quickly. And while we support the right to gather and discuss important issues like the small group did today, the voices of a select few don’t represent the sentiment of the vast majority of our employees. Our focus remains on working directly with our team to continue making Amazon a great place to work.”