Amazon Workers At Massive Hudson Valley Warehouse Walk Off Job

Amazon workers at a massive warehouse in the Hudson Valley walked off the job in an unfair labor practice strike.

Striking workers who walked off the job at Amazon's SWF1 warehouse facility in Rock Tavern on Tuesday claim Amazon has been ignoring their safety concerns for months.

Amazon Workers At Hudson Valley Warehouse Walk Off The Job

Chuck Merrihew

Workers say they've raised repeated complaints about dangerous conveyor belt speeds, falling packages, cluttered aisles, and managers who dismiss their concerns rather than address them. They're also fighting back against what they call unfair productivity write-ups.

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"My co-workers and I are constantly telling Amazon about our safety concerns, but we are always ignored and told that we don't know what we are talking about," SWF1 worker Javier Rivera said in a press release. "If Amazon won't listen to us on the floor, then we will force it to listen to us on the street."

The strike was organized through the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents workers at the Orange County facility. They say workers often witness Amazon prioritize profits and productivity over safe working conditions.

Chuck Merrihew

One of the more alarming claims involves Amazon's labor sharing policy, which reportedly reclassifies workers into different departments without proper training. Workers say they've turned to Amazon's internal digital feedback system, called the Voice of the Associate board, to flag safety issues, only to have their posts deleted.

"Amazon wants us to be scared because Amazon knows it has no answer for worker solidarity and worker power," Spath said. "We are done waiting on Amazon to fix these problems," worker Scott Spath added.

Workers were on the picket line Tuesday demanding Amazon end what the Teamsters are calling unfair labor practices at the Rock Tavern facility.

Chuck Merrihew

Hudson Valley Post reached out to Amazon for comment. Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards tells us:

Today's demonstration by the Teamsters is yet another example of their illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers, block entry and exit to our facilities, and interfere with our operations. Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union. They always have. The fact is we already provide much of what the Teamsters are requesting including safe and inclusive workplaces, competitive pay, health benefits on day one, and opportunities for career growth. While the Teamsters continue to violate the law and mislead the public, our teams remain focused on doing what they do best: delivering for customers.

According to Woods, the strike was started and initiated and attended "by mostly outside organizers," adding that operations at the Hudson Valley warehouse were "not impacted by this protest."

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