The head of the Amazon consumer made a hit with Senator Bernie Sanders because he planned a visit to Alabama, where a historic election of the union is currently taking place at one of the company’s warehouses.
Dave Clark, CEO of global consumer company Amazon, fired a series of tweets Wednesday and Thursday morning, defending the company’s work practices and taking blows at the independent senator in Vermont over the debate over raising the federal minimum wage.
On Friday, Sanders, rapper Killer Mike and actor Danny Glover are set to meet with Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, who are in the process of voting to join Retail, Wholesale and the Department Store Union (RWDSU). The meeting will take place at a RWDSU union hall in Birmingham, Alabama. Workers began voting by mail on February 8, and ballots will be closed by Monday. The counting will start the next day.
“Hello [Sanders] in Birmingham and appreciates his effort for a progressive job, “Clark wrote in a tweet Wednesday.” I often say that we are Bernie Sanders of employers, but that is not really right, because in fact we offer a progressive job “.
Clark then doubled on Thursday, claiming that the minimum wage in Sanders’ home state of Vermont is $ 11.75 per hour, while the initial payment for Amazon workers is $ 15 per hour.
Amazon and some of its executives have previously taken blows at Sanders, who is a frequent critic of Amazon. Following criticism from Sanders and other labor lawyers, Amazon in 2018 announced that it will increase its minimum wage to $ 15 per hour.
In addition, last week, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos turned down Sanders’ invitation to appear before the Senate Budget Committee for a hearing on revenue inequality. Sanders, who is chairing the Senate Budget Committee, also invited Jennifer Bates, a worker at the Bessemer depot where union elections are taking place, to testify.
Amazon has played defense as support for the union has grown from President Joe Biden and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. In recent weeks, the company has frequently responded to criticism of its Twitter work practices and promoted its minimum wage of $ 15 an hour in print and digital ads.
Labor leaders and parliamentarians faced elections for its potential to initiate similar movements in other companies and other industries. Some Amazon employees in other parts of the country hope that the union will be successful so that they can ignite support to organize their own jobs.
Amazon has previously said that it respects the right of workers to join a union, but also that its workers do not need a union to join the company. He organized compulsory meetings with workers, declared the case against unionization and created a website asking workers to “do it without taxes”.