April 22, 2020
Bezos ‘Superspreader’ billboard outside Amazon CEO’s $40 million mansion in Washington D.C
WASHINGTON D.C - Wednesday April 22nd, 2020 - Campaign group SumOfUs installed a giant billboard outside the front door of Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos’ $40 million mansion demanding that he provides proper paid sick leave to all Amazon workers.
Amazon is expected to announce record-breaking Quarter 1 results at the end of this month, with projected revenue of $73 billion - the equivalent of $11,000 a second. Yet the company is accused of failing to offer workers basic protections during the pandemic, as well as silencing and intimidating those employees that raise concerns about the company’s approach.
Vicky Wyatt, SumOf Us campaigner said:
“Jeff Bezos is the ultimate super spreader. His refusal to offer Amazon workers basic protections like sick pay, leave workers with no choice but to turn up sick because they can’t afford to miss a paycheck.
“Bezos is raking in $11,000 a second because hundreds of thousands of his workforce are risking their lives to keep his business running, and essential goods flowing.
“While he sits in one of his many mansions safe from infection, thousands of Amazon employees are at risk because he’d rather protect his profit margins than his workers. His greed is literally costing lives.”
Over half of Amazon warehouses have had workers test positive for coronavirus - cases have been reported in over half of its warehouses, and one worker has died - Gerard Tuzara, 35.
This week, Amazon employees are staging walk-outs in protest at Amazon’s failure to offer workers basic protections during the pandemic, as well as silencing and intimidating those workers that raise concerns about the company’s approach.
The billboard will also visit the Washington Post headquarters and Whole Foods store on 1440 P Street NW.
NOTES:
Photos are available here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmMJTvrZ
SumOfUs’s petition on paid sick leave is here:
For more information only on the worker walk-out protests please call asya.pikovsky@gmail.com, 207-522-2442 or jasondanielschwartz@gmail.com, 347-452-3752.