Amazon Employees In Seattle Organizing Walkout At Company Headquarters

(RTTNews) - Amazon(AMZN)'s Seattle headquarters is witnessing workers who are preparing for a walkout on Wednesday, in response to the company actions over the past year.

According to Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), a climate change advocacy group organized by the company's employees, over 1,800 employees worldwide have committed to participating in a walkout, with 870 of them being based at the company's headquarters in Seattle.

A portion of the employees planning to participate in the walkout will convene at the Amazon Sphere, a four-story building located in downtown Seattle, while others will engage in the protest remotely during lunchtime.

AECJ claims that the company has been sluggish in tackling its contribution to climate change. It points out that Amazon's emissions usage rose by 40 percent following the announcement of the Climate Pledge agreement in 2019. The group insists that the company needs to take further action to achieve zero emissions by 2030. According to a news release from AEJC, the urgency of the climate crisis is evident, and the walkout presents a valuable opportunity for employees to unite in solidarity and protect the remaining portions of our planet. By participating in the walkout, employees will join forces with fellow Amazon workers who are advocating for improved climate policies and addressing related concerns, with the shared belief that collective action can drive meaningful change within the company.

In response to the walkout, an Amazon spokesperson acknowledged that achieving net zero carbon will require time for the company. They emphasized the company's commitment to reaching net zero carbon by 2040, highlighting the involvement of more than 400 companies in their Climate Pledge initiative.

The spokesperson acknowledged the complexities associated with a company like Amazon, which has significant power consumption, transportation, packaging, and physical assets, but assured that they are diligently working towards their goal. They also affirmed the company's determination to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2025, expressing a commitment to substantial investment, innovation, and collaboration both internally and externally.

The walkout occurs one month after the implementation of a company policy that mandates employees to work from the office for three days every week.

In a memo sent by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in February, it was stated that the company made the decision to require employees to work from the office for three days a week based on observations of employee work patterns during the pandemic. The conclusion drawn from these observations was that employees are more actively involved and collaborative when working in person.

Furthermore, the walkout follows multiple rounds of layoffs by the company in the last few months, resulting in the elimination of 27,000 positions across various divisions such as advertising, human resources, gaming, stores, devices, and web services.