| Friend, No corporation in the world has profited more from the COVID-19 pandemic than Amazon, as so many of us have relied on online shopping and deliveries to maintain social distancing. But the Federal Trade Commission just revealed that Amazon withheld nearly $62 million in tips from delivery drivers in order to pad its own bottom line.(1) The tip-stealing scheme apparently went on for years: the company would lure delivery drivers in with promises of a high base pay and tips, and then it would lower the base pay unbeknownst to the driver and siphon off part of the tips to make up the difference.(2) Jeff Bezos may be stepping down as CEO, but he will still pull the strings as Amazon’s chairman of the board, and the company is still abusing its workers. We’re not letting up on our campaign to get Amazon to change its terrible practices. Will you donate to Courage California and help hold Amazon accountable to its workers? Amazon’s tip-stealing is just one of the anti-worker scandals that made news in the past week alone. Amazon also tried to block unionizing efforts in one warehouse by forcing workers to vote in person -- in the middle of a pandemic. Then they went to court to try to delay the union vote entirely.(3) Meanwhile, Amazon has forced warehouse workers in another location to make a terrible choice -- sign on to work “megacycle” shifts, from 1:20 am to 11:50 am, or lose their jobs.(4) Jeff Bezos has announced that he will soon no longer serve as Amazon’s CEO, but he is still very much in charge of the workplace culture of Amazon. And there are some signs that his replacement as CEO, Andy Jassy, could be even worse. He is a protege of Bezos’ who was in charge of Amazon Web Service, and is known for making a “tough” workplace.(5) As Amazon builds warehouse after warehouse in California, we need to fight for protections for workers. Will you donate to Courage California and help us #BlackOutBezos? Yours in the fight against corporate abuses, Irene, along with Angela, Annie, Caitlin, Deepthi, Jay, Lindsay, LisaMarie, Molly, Raquel, and Scottie (the Courage team) Footnotes:  |
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