I was an Amazon employee, but now I’m sitting outside its Seattle headquarters to protest the cruel way it abuses its workers and the environment. Employees talk to me as they head into work, and their stories are downright disturbing. That’s why I started a hunger strike Nov. 25 and will go as long as it takes -- we need to spread the word about this corporate giant’s dark side.
Will you stand with my protest and sign my petition today? Let CEO Jeff Bezos know that he needs to stop abusing his workers or you’ll consider taking your business elsewhere this holiday season!
I was fired in 2012 for reporting an ethics violation. After my lawsuit made headlines, I started hearing from Amazon warehouse and call-center employees across the country who told me about inhumane, sweatshop-like conditions.
The corporation doesn’t pay its workers for all the time they work, keeps ambulances on hand to treat heatstroke instead of improving conditions, and tracks every step workers take using personal GPS-type devices. On top of all that, the wages are so low that Indiana employees have to live in homeless shelters!
According to Greenpeace, Amazon even gets "F" on the environmental front (while Facebook and Google both got A's). Given the immense energy its cloud computing service uses, Amazon must do more for clean energy!
Workers’ voices are ignored by Amazon, which is why you need to speak for them. Please help send Amazon a clear message — sign my Care2 petition today!
Dear Mr. Bezos and Board members,
Amazon.com's record on employee treatment, ethical standards, and environmental sustainability are abysmal and need urgent attention. I am extremely disturbed by reports of wage theft and oppressive warehouse conditions, as well as your lack of a commitment to using clean energy.
If you do not address these issues and improve your practices, I will have to take my business elsewhere this holiday season and beyond. Your company has evaded these issues for too long — it’s time for change. Show us how you're going to make these changes for the better!
Sincerely,
Kivin Varghese and the undersigned
