>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE'LL CHECK IN WITH YOU IN A
BIT.
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN COUNTING THE
VOTES IN A UNIONIZATION ELECTION
AT AN AMAZON FACILITY OUTSIDE
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.
IT COULD BECOME THE FIRST UNION
WORKPLACE FOR THE NATION'S
SECOND LARGEST PRIVATE EMPLOYER.
HERE IN CHICAGO WORKERS
DEMONSTRATED OUTSIDE AN AMAZON
WAREHOUSE AS THEY PUT PRESSURE
ON THE COMPANY FOR
ACCOMMODATIONS TO WHAT SOME
EMPLOYEES CALL BRUTAL
CONDITIONS.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" NICK
BLUMBERG REPORTS.
>> ON JANUARY 25, AMAZON
EMPLOYEES SAY THEY WERE TOLD THE
COMPANY WAS SHUTTING DOWN ITS
150,000 SQUARE-FOOT DISTRIBUTION
CENTER IN SOUTH SIDE MCKINLEY
PARK KNOWN AS DCH1.
AMAZON HAS BEEN FAST IN CHICAGO
THIS PAST YEAR.
THE COMPANY SAYS DCH1 IS ONE OF
ITS OLDER FACILITIES SO IT'S NOT
RENEWING ITS LEASE AND INSTEAD
TRANSFERRING WORKERS TO THREE
NEWER SITES TO BETTER SERVE
CUSTOMERS.
SOME EMPLOYEES SAY IT'S NOT THE
WHOLE STORY.
THE WORKPLACE IS FILTHY.
>> THEY HAVE SAFETY ISSUES.
>> LAST APRIL A GROUP OF WORKERS
AT DCH1 KNOWN AS AMAZONIANS
UNITED CHICAGOLAND ORGANIZED
SAFETY STRIKES DEMANDING PPE,
AND CLEANING AND SAFETY
MEASURES.
>> PEOPLE ARE GETTING SICK AND
WE WEREN'T NOTIFIED ABOUT IT.
THEY WOULD BROADCAST ON SOCIAL
MEDIA INFORMING US THEMSELVES
THAT THEY WERE SICK OR HAD THE
COVID.
SO LIKE WE AS A GROUP DECIDED
THAT SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.
>> AMAZONIANS UNITED SAYS
EFFORTS WERE LARGELY SUCCESSFUL
AND NOW THEIR ORGANIZING HAS A
NEW FOCUS.
THIS YEAR WHEN THEY WERE TOLD
DCH1 WAS SHUTTING DOWN THEY WERE
TOLD THEIR HOURS WOULD BE
CHANGED TO SHIFTS CALLED MEGA
CYCLES WORKING 10.5 HOURS.
>> MOTHERS HAVE TO BE HOME WITH
CHILDREN THEY HAVE E-LEARNING OR
THEY HAVE TO GET THEM UP IN THE
MORNING OR THAT THEY ARE DOWN
FOR THE NIGHT.
I BASICALLY HAVE MEDICAL ISSUES
AND I FOUND OUT THAT I AM A
DIABETIC.
SO THAT'S EVEN INTERFERING WITH
LIKE THE SCHEDULE THAT I HAVE TO
INSURE THAT I'M TAKING THE
MEDICATION I NEED.
>> WORKERS CAME UP WITH A LIST
OF ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE.
A $2 PER HOUR RAISE,
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES WHO
CAN ONLY WORK PART OF THE SHIFT
BECAUSE THEY NEED TO CARE FOR
CHILDREN OR MEDICAL REASONS.
RIDES TO AND FROM WORK WHICH THE
COMPANY PROVIDES IN NEW YORK
CITY AND FULL 20-MINUTE BREAKS
WITHOUT MANAGERS CUTTING THEM
SHORT.
>> WHETHER WE NEED TO KEEP
HANDING OUT PETITIONS OR WE ARE
GOING TO GO BACK TO THE ROUTE OF
DOING PROTESTING OR SOMETHING
ELSE OR WHATNOT WE'LL TAKE THOSE
ACTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY
BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN WAY TOO
MANY SITUATIONS TO NOT BE GIVEN
THE PRIVILEGES WE ARE ASKING FOR
THAT ARE GIVEN AT OTHER
FACILITIES AS WELL.
>> AMAZON DECLINED OUR REQUEST
FOR AN INTERVIEW BUT IN A
STATEMENT CALLED ITS EMPLOYEES
THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE
COMPANY AND TOUTED THE PAY,
BENEFITS AND FLEXIBILITY THAT
EMPLOYEES ARE OFFERED.
>> WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON TAKING
CARE OF YOUR WORKERS OR PRIDE
YOURSELF ON INSURING YOUR
WORKERS SAFETY.
WE ARE HOLDING YOU TO IT.
>> THEY CAN BE SENSITIVE TO ANY
ECONOMIC, POLITICAL OR COMMUNITY
PUSHBACK.
>> LABOR UNEMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
PROFESSOR ROBERT BRUNO DESCRIBES
AMAZONIANS UNITED AS AN
ALTERNATIVE LABOR ORGANIZATION
GROUPS WHICH HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE
IN THE RESTAURANT AND GARMENT
INDUSTRIES AND SILICON VALLEY.
>> THEY ARE NOT RECOGNIZED AS A
FORMAL LABOR UNION UNDER THE LAW
BUT THEY ADVOCATE FOR WORKERS
AND USE PUBLIC ADVOCACY
CAMPAIGNS AND COULD USE LAWSUITS
TO TRY TO IMPROVE WORKING
CONDITIONS.
>> BRUNO SAYS LABOR UNIONS HAVE
THE GREATEST LEGAL WEIGHT AND
THAT IF AMAZON EMPLOYEES IN
ALABAMA VOTE TO UNIONIZE IT
COULD HAVE EFFECTS IN CHICAGO
AND AROUND THE NATION.
>> ONCE A BEACH-HEAD IS CREATED,
RIGHT, IT CREATES THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ORGANIZE IN OTHER
PLACES.
>> THE WORKERS SAY THEY ARE OPEN
TO THE IDEA OF A UNION BUT IT
HAS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THEIR
NEEDS.
FOR NOW, AS WORKERS FROM DCH1
TRANSFER TO OTHER LOCATIONS
AROUND THE CITY THEY ARE FOCUSED
ON GETTING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR
EMPLOYEES WORKING MEGA CYCLES
AND KEEPING UP THE ORGANIZING.
>> THE ISSUES ARE NOT JUST IN
ONE SITE.
I WANT EVERYBODY WHO WEARS THIS
VEST TO KNOW THAT IT DOESN'T
MATTER IF YOU ARE BY YOURSELF OR
WITH THE WHOLE SHIP STANDING UP
FOR YOURSELF IS IMPORTANT.
>> FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" I'M
NICK BLUMBERG.
>> AMAZON'S DCH1 FACILITY THE
SITE OF THE COVID RELATED
DEMONSTRATIONS IS SET TO
SHUTDOWN TOMORROW AND AMAZON IS
FACING CHARGES AT THE NATIONAL