According to the New York Times, the layoffs are noted as the company’s reaction to the unionization victory.
Amazon has reportedly fired more than a dozen senior executives involved in a warehouse union in New York City.
The layoffs, which took place outside the company’s worker review cycle, were seen as the company’s reaction to the Amazon Workers Union that formed on Staten Island last month in a “historic victory” against the nation’s second-largest employer, the New York Times. York Times reported, mentioning previous and existing workers who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Most of the managers who were fired were because of Amazon’s reaction to the organizing efforts, the New York Times reported. According to their LinkedIn profiles that were reviewed through the Times, some of the managers had been at the company for more than six years.
Amazon said the adjustments were made after comparing the warehouse’s “operations and direction” for several weeks.
“Part of our culture at Amazon is to continuously improve, and we believe it’s vital to take the time to determine whether we’re doing as productive as possible for our team or not,” the spokesperson said.
The managers were fired because of an “organizational change,” two workers told The Times. One claimed that some of the managers had recently obtained positive functionality reviews.
In April, Amazon staff at the Staten Island warehouse voted by a majority to form a union. This victory marked the first successful American organizational effort in the company’s history. Organizers have faced a fierce war against Amazon, which now employs more than a million other people in the United States and is doing everything it can to keep unions from coming in.
Christian Smalls, who heads the Amazon Workers Union, said on Twitter that he met with Joe Biden some time after he sharply criticized Amazon for his testimony at a Senate hearing thursday.
Pro-union staff demanded longer breaks, paid time off for injured staff and an hourly wage of $30, compared to a minimum of just over $18 an hour put forward by the company. The estimated average wage for the district is $41 per hour, according to similar research through the Staten Island U. S. Census Bureau, the median household income source of $85,381.
Amazon said it is investing in wages and benefits, such as physical care, 401(k) plans and a prepaid tuition program to help expand workers’ careers.
“As a company, we don’t believe unions are the most productive response for our employees,” a spokesman said after the unions’ victory. “Our purpose remains to work directly with our team to continue to make Amazon an ideal place to work. “”
Earlier this week, Amazon warehouse at a moment warehouse on Staten Island overwhelmingly rejected a union offer, dealing a severe blow to organizers who withdrew the union from Staten Island last month.
Organizers said they lost something for the warehouse after filing an election in February because they directed more power to the nearby facility that voted to unionize last month. There were also fewer organizers at this facility— about 10, compared to only about 30 workers at the Staten Island warehouse.
The same pitfalls that hampered the effort the first time, adding amazon’s competitive anti-union tactics, were back in play. In the run-up to the election, Amazon continued to hold mandatory meetings to convince its staff to reject the union effort, posted anti-union flyers, and urged staff to “vote NO. “
“Right now, the ALU is looking to interfere in our appointments with you,” it reads. “They think they can do a bigger task to protect you than yourself. “