Approximately 60 Amazon warehouse workers in Eagan, Minnesota walked out of their workplace last week mid-shift, to protest working conditions, pay and limits on total weekly hours that prevent them from receiving health care benefits. Among the workers’ demands: weight restrictions on the boxes they must lift, which currently can weigh up to 70 pounds.
An Amazon employee told Workday Minnesota that workers who injure themselves lifting heavy boxes must take unpaid time off while recovering.
The workers also say that night shift employees should be paid more than the $16.25 they are getting at present.
The strike lasted two and a half hours and ended when an Amazon manager promised that the issues would be addressed.
This is the second strike at the Eagan plant in the last two months. In August, some 80 employees walked off the job to protest limited parking conditions that had resulted in cars being towed and workers who had to park off-site being penalized for clocking in late.
Amazon workers also conducted a strike during Prime Day to protest working conditions.
On September 20, one thousand white-collar Amazon workers walked off the to protest the company's large carbon footprint.