Amazon Labor Union President Chris Smalls had some choice words for South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham during a congressional earreach this week : “ The people are the single that make these corporations go , not the other way around . ”
“ This is very dangerous , ” Grahamsaidof Sanders ’ singling out of Amazon . “ you could have inadvertence hearings all you like , but you ’ve determined Amazon is a piece of crap company . That ’s your political diagonal . ”
Smalls , who was scheduled to attest at the hearing , fired back at Graham ahead of his disposed remarks .
Screenshot:C-Span
“ You forgot that the people are the single who make these company operate , ” Smalls said “ If we ’re not protected and if the cognitive operation for when we have got these companies accountable is down for us … that ’s the reason why I ’m here . ”
Smalls wore a bright red crown with the words “ Eat the Rich ” sew together on the front .
Smalls , who successfully led ahistoricfirst of its kind unionization elbow grease at a Staten Island warehouse last month , go on to tell Graham his protagonism for Amazon worker ’s right transcended traditional party affiliations
Vermont Senator Sanders stands with Amazon Labor Union President Chris Smalls.Photo: Kena Bentancur (Getty Images)
“ I recollect it ’s in your adept interest to substantiate that it ’s not a left or right think , ” Smalls say . “ It ’s not a Democrat or Republican affair , it ’s a workers affair , it ’s a worker government issue . We ’re the ones that are suffering in the tummy that you ’re blab about , in the concern that you ’re talking about , in the storage warehouse that you ’re talking about . ”
WATCH : Opening statement from Christian Smalls ( @Shut_downAmazon ) , Amazon Labor Union President , before the Senate Budget Committee .
Full telecasting here : https://t.co / FPLeBtk7Hwpic.twitter.com / RTRzxBrO6b
— CSPAN ( @cspan)May 5 , 2022
Smalls was join alongside Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien , Good Jobs First , Executive Director Greg LeRoy , and Government Accountability Office Director of Education , Workforce , and Income Security , Thomas Costa , who provided their own testimony . The groups and some lawmakers spoke critically of Amazon , with Sanders calling out Amazon ’s well - advertize anti - Federal tactics . “ Amazon has done everything possible — sound and illegal — to defeat conjugation organize efforts . ”
In the weeks head up to the Staten Island right to vote , Amazon workers told The City theyattendedanti - union meetings they believed were mandatory . More latterly public documentsrevealedAmazon considered spending up to $ 100,000 per calendar month on anti - Federal consultant to kill that union drive . Those are just the most late examples in a long , sometimesaggressive , tilt of anti - Federal manoeuvre displayed by the ship’s company .
Not long after Thursday ’s Senate hearing , Smallsreportedlymet with President Joe Biden . Though it ’s unreadable exactly what the two discussed during their meeting , Smalls posted a tweet written material , “ Just meet with the President lol he say I got him in trouble . ” That encounter get just one day after small and other labour leaders sit down with Vice President Kamala Harris .
Just run into the President lol he say I find him in trouble 😈 gooooooooooood@amazonlabor ✊ 🏽
— Christian Smalls ( @Shut_downAmazon)May 5 , 2022
The serial publication of high - visibility group meeting act a major win for Smalls and the labour movement loosely , peculiarly among those working for large tech companies . At the prison term of writing , at leastthreeApple retail memory are reportedly in the process of set about a unionisation vote . Union efforts are catching wind at Amazon as well . Less than one calendar month after Smalls ’ victory a second warehouse in Staten Island attempted and failed to unionize . While that effort may have fall short , it bespeak what may be a yr full of unionisation efforts unfold across Amazon’sestimated110 U.S. fulfilment centers . Now , it appear that these actor have the public support of the Chief Executive and leading members of congress .
AmazonBernie SandersCompaniesJoe Bidenkamala harrisLindsey GrahamPolitics
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