After a decade as an Amazon Prime member, I have canceled my membership.
Amazon Prime is a collection of services you subscribe to for a monthly or yearly fee. This includes video, music, and free fast delivery. Investors are always looking to Prime membership numbers as a sign of the strength of Amazon’s business.
Amazon has abused its market power and great wealth at great cost to its workers. This has been apparent for years, but truly came into full clarity during the COVID-19 crisis. In its fulfillment centers, workers are not being protected. Workers are being told they will have to forfeit all pay if they get sick (as a result of their work or not)1. The people who turn our orders into packages at our door are being squarely screwed in this crisis2, while Amazon rakes in profits and market share3.
Too many people are hurting.
There are myriad other ways to buy the goods that Amazon sells. I’ll be buying from small businesses directly for all my shopping that would have previously been on Amazon. In light of COVID-19, I can get everything online from many local businesses.
It’s often said that we vote with our dollars. I, for one, will be voting for something new. Join others4,5 who are voting “no” to Amazon’s exploitation.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/07/amazon-warehouse-workers-coronavirus-time-off-california ↩
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-workers-with-coronavirus-60-minutes-2020-05-10/ ↩
https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/4/10/21215953/amazon-fresh-walmart-grocery-delivery-coronavirus-retail-store-closures ↩
https://mashable.com/article/cancel-amazon-prime/ ↩
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/04/top-amazon-executive-quits-over-firings-warehouse-workers-climate-activists/ ↩