Hundreds of Amazon employees have begun to protest in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and return the abortion decisions to the individual states, which has inspired them to action.
These workers, in an open letter that has since been published, put forward a number of demands on Amazon executives they think will guarantee “the essential human right” of unrestricted abortion access.
Some of the demands, such as public denouncement and company-sponsored protests, are rather conventional; others, on the other hand, appear to be more focused on undermining executive authority than advancing women’s rights.
For example, the letter requests that the business “grant all employees’ time and space to grieve, voice their opinions, and protest against this attack on our rights,” implying that it will be paid for by the firm.
The letter also demands Amazon to “expand remote work choices so that employees may choose to relocate to other states” in order for consumers to continue having access to abortions and for the company “to cease operations in states that pass abortion bans.” Because Amazon has already established dozens of huge warehouses in red states, and because its business model depends on fast home delivery, this request will have a significant impact on both income and the breadth of its political and economic power.
The letter also demands Amazon do a comprehensive audit to ensure that none of its hundreds of billions of dollars in sales go to support pro-life causes and that it deletes its inventory so that consumers have only access to pro-abortion materials and merchants.
By imposing such tough conditions, letter co-signers may have perceived a chance to gain more leverage with Amazon executives. Since the firm’s inception, many local Amazon employees have attempted to form a union, and all of their efforts thus far have been unsuccessful. If Amazon agrees to part or all of the demands made in the letter, signatories would gain more collective bargaining strength while also assisting pro-abortion activism.
Despite their ulterior motives, the letter signees have expressed a sense of urgency about the abortion issue, and they’ve urged all letter readers to pro-abortion groups and materials, indicating that their pro-abortion beliefs are genuine.
