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COVID-19
Alina Selyukh, NPR and Shannon Bond, NPR

Amazon, Instacart grocery delivery workers strike for coronavirus protection and pay

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Instacart said it would distribute supplies, including hand sanitizer, to more workers and that it would change some tipping settings. But it didn't address paid sick leave for its contractors.
Instacart said it would distribute supplies, including hand sanitizer, to more workers and that it would change some tipping settings. But it didn't address paid sick leave for its contractors.
Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images

Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island and Instacart's grocery delivery workers nationwide plan to walk off their jobs on Monday. They are demanding stepped-up protection and pay as they continue to work while much of the country is asked to isolate as a safeguard against the coronavirus.

The strikes come as both Amazon and Instacart have said they plan to hire tens of thousands of new workers. Online shopping and grocery home delivery is skyrocketing as much of the nation hunkers down and people stay at home, following orders and recommendations from the federal and local governments.

This has put a spotlight on workers who shop, pack and deliver these high-demand supplies. Companies refer to the workers as "heroes," but they say their employers aren't doing enough to keep them safe.

The workers are asking for a variety of changes:

  • Workers from both Amazon and Instacart want more access to paid sick time off. At this time, it's only available to those who have tested positive for the coronavirus or get placed on mandatory self-quarantine.

  • Amazon workers want their warehouse to be closed for a longer cleaning, with guaranteed pay.

  • Instacart's grocery delivery gig workers are asking for disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer and better pay to offset the risk they are taking.

Workers at Amazon's Staten Island facility have said that multiple people at the warehouse have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Some of them plan to walk off the job on Monday to pressure the company to close the warehouse for an extended deep cleaning.

At Amazon, which employs some 800,000 people, workers have diagnosed positively for COVID-19 in at least 11 warehouses, forcing a prolonged closure of at least one warehouse in Kentucky. The company says it has "taken extreme measures to keep people safe," including allowing unlimited unpaid leave time for employees who feel uncomfortable working.

Amazon says its decision on whether to close a warehouse for cleaning or for how long depends on where the sick workers were in the building, for how long, how long ago and other assessments. The company has also temporarily raised its pay by $2 an hour through April.

Instacart's army of grocery delivery workers are not employees, but independent contractors. They say the company has not provided them with proper protective items like disinfectants, hazard pay of an extra $5 per order and a higher default tip in the settings of the app.

Instacart on Sunday said it would distribute supplies, including hand sanitizer, to more workers and that it would change some tipping settings, but did not address the paid sick leave for its contractors.

"Actions speak louder than words," Instacart worker Sarah Polito told NPR. "You can tell us that we're these household heroes and that you appreciate us. But you're not actually, they're not showing it. They're not taking these steps to give us the precautions. They're not giving us hazard pay."

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.