Hundreds of Amazon workers in Seattle plan to walk out on Wednesday, according to a report from the Washington Post and organizers of the walkout.
The lunchtime walkout will begin at noon, according to the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice organizer. It happens in front of the Amazon Sphere on Seventh Avenue, next to the company’s South Lake Union offices.
The Post cited internal messages shared by employees via Slack and email, which listed Amazon’s back-to-office mandate, climate commitments and recent layoffs among the reasons.
“Morale feels like it’s at an all-time low,” one Los Angeles-based employee was quoted by the Washington Post as saying.
A news release from Amazon Workers for Climate Justice cited “a lack of confidence in the company’s leadership decisions” as one of the reasons for the walkout.
More than 1,900 workers worldwide have pledged to walk out, including 913 in Seattle, according to the latest numbers from organizers.
Organizers say the walkout is focused on Seattle because “the place is symbolically the Amazon.”
Amazon announced plans to lay off 9,000 workers at the end of March, shortly after the company cut more than 18,000 jobs. The job cuts are spread across various teams, including Amazon Web Services, PXT Solutions, Advertising and Twitch.
However, given the uncertain economy we live in and the near-term uncertainty, we have chosen to be more disciplined in our spending and headcount, CEO Andy Jacey said in late March.
Regarding the planned walkout, the company’s spokesperson said, “We respect the right of our employees to express their opinions.”
A news release from Amazon’s Employees for Climate Fair said the walkout was “due to a lack of confidence in the company’s leadership decisions, specifically addressing the company’s climate impact and setting the back-to-work order.”
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