The employee activists that pressured Amazon to take more action on climate change have recently called for the company to grant all employees a paid day off to vote.
The group, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), on Thursday escalated their campaign, which had garnered more than 6,500 employee signatures on an internal petition, with a call for a protest action on Halloween.
In an online post, AECJ asked supporters — though not Amazon warehouse workers themselves — to temporarily block truck and van exits from the company's fulfillment centers "whether with cars or bodies" for at least 15 minutes on Halloween. The group issued a news release including statements in support from MLK Labor, an umbrella group for Seattle-area unions, and climate-advocacy organization 350 Seattle.
"We've gone through appropriate channels internally and have gotten no response from Amazon leadership and with less than two weeks until the U.S. presidential election, Amazon must act immediately," AECJ said in a Medium post.
An Amazon spokesperson said all employees have been provided voter-registration information, details of local polling places and instructions on requesting time off to vote.
"In all 47 states with in-person voting, employees that lack adequate time before or after their scheduled workday to vote, can request and be provided excused time off. The number of hours and pay provided to employees varies by state in line with local laws," the spokesperson said.
The company had no comment on AECJ's call for action on Halloween.
