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Christian Smalls was tired of Amazon dehumanizing him and his fellow employees. So he decided to take action, organizing a walk-out protest at the corporation’s Staten Island factory in support of a labor union.
Hours later, Amazon fired Smalls! But they weren’t ready for what he was about to do next.
His organizing led to a victory they NEVER wanted to happen! Smalls successfully formed the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), shocking the nation in a historic win.
Amazon was plotting heavy, spending $4.3 million in anti-union consultation, but he fought back! “When Amazon fired me, it was a no-brainer, I had nothing else to lose; I just lost everything... in the middle of a pandemic,” said Smalls.
The ALU demands a $30 an hour minimum wage, more paid breaks, improved medical leave, additional PTO, and elimination of productivity rates that require employees to pick far too many items an hour.
Throughout it all, Smalls never stopped being himself. He’s a national labor leader, but refuses to code-switch. He wore an “Eat The Rich” bomber jacket for a meeting at the White House, and a durag peeked from underneath his fitted hat.
White supremacy has always tried to control us, but we don’t have to obey!
Like Smalls, we must know the struggle for our liberation is always worth the fight. And sometimes we win!