The pressure was on Thursday at a board meeting of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, with labor advocates calling on board members to stop Amazon’s planned air cargo mega-hub at Newark airport. They cited poor working conditions at the world’s largest online retailer, indicated by excessive injuries, high turnover and low pay.
“We’re calling for the Port Authority to not allow Amazon to expand further into New Jersey without making commitments to the community about job quality, about environmental concerns, and to make sure it does not obstruct workers who are looking to organize a union,” said Irene Tung, senior researcher and policy analyst with the National Employment Law Project. A new report just released by the National Employment Law Project raises concerns about the working conditions at Amazon. “Turnover at Amazon warehouses in New Jersey is at 124%. That’s almost double the rate of turnover at non-Amazon warehouses in New Jersey,” said Tung.
