Open Letter to Shareholders: Amazon cannot continue to disregard worker safety and the rights of communities of color

Dear Amazon Directors and Shareholders:

We, the undersigned, are members and allies of Athena, a nationwide coalition dedicated to defeating unchecked corporate power and advancing democracy that represents us all. We are writing to you as Amazon investors to share a report we released this month titled, Monitored: How Amazon Undermines the Safety of Workers and Our Communities. We believe this report is particularly relevant now, as Amazon shareholders weigh in ahead of the May 25 Annual Meeting, and hope it provides you with valuable insight this shareholder season.

The report covers two areas where Amazon’s practices are coming under increased scrutiny: unsafe working conditions in Amazon warehouses, and impacts of its technology partnerships on communities of color.

In both cases, Amazon is using its market power to reshape society to suit its business needs, often at the expense of workers and communities of color, while ignoring or failing to address the concerns raised by civil society. Importantly, Amazon employees themselves are leading the efforts to make change at the company on these issues.

The analysis included in the report is a synthesis of the latest research and developments on these issues, gathered together in one place for the first time.

The report also covers some of the investor response to Amazon’s practices, including:

• A floor resolution from a warehouse worker calling for an end to the productivity quotas and constant surveillance driving Amazon’s injury crisis;
• Shareholder resolutions addressing concerns around workplace safety, the rights of workers to organize, racial inequity, surveillance tech, and human rights; and
• A call to vote against two Directors for their failure to properly oversee workplace health and safety.

These proposals not only echo the calls for change from workers and communities, but reflect a growing frustration with the lack of response or oversight from Amazon’s leadership. As this year’s annual meeting shapes up to be a referendum on Amazon’s treatment of workers and communities of color, we hope that you will stand with the shareholders calling for accountability and change.

Sincerely,
Athena Coalition
Action Center of Race and the Economy
ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York
Center for Popular Democracy
Economic Security Project
Fight for the Future
For Us Not Amazon
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Jewish Voice for Peace
Jobs With Justice
La ColectiVA
Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
Make the Road New Jersey
Make the Road New York
MediaJustice
Missouri Workers Center
MPower Change
Muslim Counterpublics Lab
New York Communities For Change
OLÉ
Open Markets Institute
Philadelphia Jobs With Justice
PowerSwitch Action
Puget Sound Sage
Silicon Valley Rising Action
Stand Up Nashville
Transit Riders Union
United for Respect
Warehouse Worker Resource Center
Warehouse Workers for Justice