Amazon is experiencing significant pressure from its workforce, as employees demand better wages and working conditions, while also challenging the company’s return-to-office (RTO) mandate.
This unrest follows years of mounting discontent, with both office staff and warehouse workers increasingly vocalizing their frustrations.
Amazon warehouse workers across the US have been organizing, calling for a $25 minimum wage—a significant increase from the company’s current average of $20.50 per hour. This movement gained momentum after Amazon drivers unionized in 2021, and many of the company’s fulfillment center employees now hope for similar gains. Workers are protesting through marches, petitions, and direct action, demanding higher wages and improved safety conditions.
Christine Manno, an injured Amazon warehouse worker, voiced concerns about workers struggling to afford basic necessities while executives, such as CEO Andy Jassy, earn substantial salaries. She emphasized that the current wages leave many workers in financial difficulty, unable to pay bills or afford housing. Manno’s sentiments were echoed by other employees who said Amazon’s modest wage increases do little to address their broader economic challenges.
In response to this pressure, Amazon recently announced a $2.2 billion investment to raise wages for fulfillment workers, bringing base pay to over $22 an hour. The company has also been making moves to improve driver safety and increase wages for delivery workers. However, despite these gains, many employees insist that the fight for a $25 minimum wage is far from over.
Simultaneously, Amazon’s corporate employees are pushing back against the RTO mandate, which CEO Andy Jassy reinstated after pandemic-era remote work policies. Office staff have voiced their dissatisfaction with the policy, with some employees reportedly seeking remote job opportunities elsewhere. Many view the mandate as a step backwards, particularly given that the policy is stricter than pre-pandemic standards. Some employees have even accused the company of using the RTO requirement as a covert way to reduce headcount without offering severance packages.
Adding to the tension, a leaked document revealed that Amazon plans to cut back on management roles, further fueling concerns among employees about job security. Workers have expressed their frustrations on platforms like Reddit, with one describing the RTO mandate as a “layoff in disguise.”
As more Amazon workers organize and join unions, experts suggest that these efforts are creating upward pressure on wages and improving conditions across the company. Beth Gutelius, research director at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Center for Urban Economic Development, noted that unionized environments often influence non-unionized facilities as well, pushing employers to offer more competitive wages and benefits.
Gutelius’ research, which surveyed over 1,400 Amazon warehouse workers, found that more than half of them face significant financial struggles. Many workers reported difficulties paying their bills, and nearly a quarter rely on food stamps. Additionally, Amazon’s workplace injury rates are higher than the industry average, which has sparked further demands for better safety measures.
While Amazon has made strides to address some worker concerns, including wage hikes and improved benefits such as offering free Amazon Prime memberships, many employees feel these measures fall short. Workers like Brian Phillips, a warehouse employee from Illinois, argue that the recent wage increases are insufficient and that the $25 minimum wage demand is reasonable, especially given the company’s significant profits.
Despite the company’s efforts to improve conditions, employees remain determined to keep pushing for more substantial changes. Union efforts continue to grow, with support from civil rights, faith, and labor organizations. Amazon’s workforce appears to be banding together more than ever, with workers nationwide organizing to demand higher pay and better safety conditions. Given the increasing pressure from both unionized and non-unionized employees, Amazon may be forced to make further concessions in the near future.
Fortune, Ars Technica, and CNN contributed to this report.
