Sacked Amazon Coronavirus Whistleblower | Christian Smalls

Interview | Description | Timestamps | Show Notes

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“The virus is literally moving throughout the building. Phase by phase, department by department.”

— Christian Smalls

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SHOW DESCRIPTION

Location: Zoom
Date: Friday, 3rd April 2020
Company: N/A
Role: N/A

The treatment of Amazon warehouse workers frequently comes under scrutiny, with reports of gruelling shifts, stringent performance targets and limited breaks.

The spread of the COVID-19 has led to the closure of all non-essential businesses in many parts of the world. Amazon has become a lifeline for many ordering essentials during this lockdown.

With Amazon warehouses busier than ever there are fears that these places of work could become hotbeds for spreading the virus.

When Amazon worker Christian Smalls was told a co-worker had tested positive for COVID-19, he raised the concerns with his supervisors and asked to have the building closed and sanitised before returning to work. According to Christian, management denied his request, which led him to organise a walkout in protest. Christian was subsequently fired.

In this interview, I talk to Christian Smith to discuss the working conditions in an Amazon warehouse, the company's reaction to the pandemic, and if Amazon should close its business entirely.

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TIMESTAMPS

Coming soon…

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SHOW NOTES

Connect with Christian:

• Twitter

• Instagram

More on the story:

• ‘We Didn’t Sign Up for This’: Amazon Workers on the Front Lines 

• Dear Jeff Bezos, instead of firing me, protect your workers from coronavirus | Chris Smalls

• Amazon fires Staten Island coronavirus strike leader Chris Smalls

• Firing of Amazon Strike Leader Draws State and City Scrutiny

• 'It's retaliation': Amazon warehouse worker fired following coronavirus employee walkout

• There is no greater illustration of corporate America’s moral decay than Amazon | Ross Barkan

Mentioned in the show:

• Amazon workers ‘forced to urinate in plastic bottles because they cannot go to toilet on shift’ 

• Inside the hellish workday of an Amazon warehouse employee

• Amazon worker: There's not enough time for toilet breaks

• Amazon worker tests positive for coronavirus in Staten Island 

• Amazon temporarily closes warehouse in Queens after worker tests positive for coronavirus

• Amazon Closes Kentucky Warehouse After Workers Test Positive

• New York City Investigates Amazon Over Firing of Worker

• Sex toys, video games, and dolls: Amazon not prioritising essential goods

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