The Daily How Two Friends Beat Amazon and Built a Union: An Update
6 snips
Dec 27, 2022 
Christian Smalls and Derrick Palmer, Amazon warehouse workers and key figures in the labor movement, discuss their inspiring journey in unionizing Amazon. They share the challenges faced, from grueling shifts to intimidation tactics, and the pivotal Staten Island walkout sparked by safety concerns. Jodi Kantor, an investigative reporter, highlights the significance of their grassroots efforts in fostering solidarity among workers. Their story is not just about a victory, but also the ongoing fight for workers' rights and the hope it ignites across a changing labor landscape.
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Derrick Palmer's Start at Amazon
- Derrick Palmer started at Amazon in 2015, encouraged by his mother, hoping for career advancement.
- He became an ambassador, training new hires, but never got promoted as he'd hoped.
Amazon's Hiring and Promotion Practices
- Jodi Kantor explains that Amazon's business model intentionally limits upward mobility for warehouse workers.
- The company prefers hiring college graduates for higher positions rather than promoting from within.
The Walkout
- Witnessing a sick supervisor at work, Chris Smalls and Derrick Palmer walked out.
- They wanted the building shut down and cleaned, inspired by a similar walkout in Kentucky.