Amazon workers in Southern California are calling on the company to reinstate a warehouse worker they say was fired without cause.
Workers picketed outside a warehouse in Jurupa Valley for hours last week to rally in support of Andres Aguayo, a warehouse worker who was allegedly fired for talking to colleagues about labor rights.
Aguayo said he and other workers at the DJT6 delivery hub in Riverside tried to address workplace safety issues and personal concerns to their supervisors directly. He believes that the company fired him unjustly without giving a reason.
“They figured I was enough of a problem that they didn’t want me working,” said Aguayo. “They claim to have found some sort of misconduct without any evidence.”
Other DJT6 workers agree Aguayo was targeted for speaking out. Michelle Perez shares that she considers Aguayo a “trustworthy” person who follows the rules.
“A lot of people trust him,” said Perez. “He's really friendly with all the coworkers and he would help a lot around the building. So I feel like that’s the reason they fired him.”
Perez says Amazon’s actions have made it clear they don't want workers to organize and form a union.
“They want to try to kick us out too,” she said. “They don’t want to see strong people that are willing to fight for workers’ rights. Any of us can get retaliated for this situation and the reason why we’re here today is to show them we’re not scared.”
Amazon did not respond to KVCR’s request for comment in time for broadcast and publication.
The protest comes amid ongoing labor disputes involving Amazon across the Inland Empire, where workers at multiple facilities have raised concerns about working conditions, strict production quotas and alleged retaliation tied to organizing efforts.
Amazon has previously characterized some demonstrations at its facilities as being organized with support from outside labor groups, including the Teamsters union.
