In the first episode of On Strike, we talk to workers at Amazon’s biggest air hub (KCVG) in northern Kentucky, where the most important union drive in the country is underway. Amazon workers are deeply exploited in the U.S. and globally, and KCVG is no exception, despite Amazon having racked up record profits in recent years. KCVG is essential to Amazon’s plans to realize one-day delivery, and it’s one of the largest capital investments the corporation has ever made – more than $1.5 billion. For this same reason, the facility is key for the workers' movement. It’s a strategic choke point to shut down the corporation’s profits if Amazon continues to steamroll over workers’ rights and continues to engage in brutal union busting. Workers at KCVG workers are leading a rank-and-file, class-struggle based campaign to unionize the facility with the Amazon Labor Union. They are standing up to Amazon executive’s brutal union busting and fighting for bold demands like a $30/hr starting wage, 180 hours paid time off, real cost-of-living raises to keep up with inflation, and union representation at all disciplinary meetings. A victory at KCVG could galvanize workers around the country to unionize Amazon everywhere and rebuild a fighting labor movement.
