Bebeto Matthews/AP

Employees at the tech giant join others across the country striking for better conditions amid coronavirus.

Dozens of workers at a New York City–based Amazon fulfillment center walked out on Monday to protest a lack of health protections and demand more cleaning at the Staten Island facility, where at least one worker has tested positive for COVID-19. They joined other front-line workers striking this week: Instacart shoppers also held a nationwide walkout on Monday, and a Whole Foods “sick-out” took place a day later. All want a vastly better support system in terms of health, pay, and safety on the job.

Soon after, an organizer and attendee of the protest, Christian Smalls, was fired. The company said he was dismissed for violating the guidelines of a 14-day paid quarantine after he had been in contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19 at the facility. Smalls said that seeing people sick at work is why he organized the protest. (Amazon contends that only 15 workers actually left the facility.(JACOB ROSENBERG)

Posted by The non-Conformist