WASHINGTON – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.2 million essential workers across North America, including grocery workers at Whole Foods, released a statement in response to Amazon’s decision to close their Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go brick-and-mortar stores.
UFCW International President Milton Jones said:
“Amazon Fresh was built on a fundamentally flawed model that shortchanged both workers and customers. By investing heavily in technology rather than the workers who actually make stores successful, this business model was doomed from the beginning.
“The lesson from Amazon Fresh should have been clear: grocery stores succeed when workers are respected and valued. Instead, Amazon continues to move in the opposite direction.
“More than one year after Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia won their historic union election, the company is still fighting them at every turn. If Amazon is serious about building a successful grocery business, the path forward is clear. They must pay better wages and benefits and respect workers’ right to organize.”
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The UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.2 million workers and their families in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, healthcare, cannabis, retail, and other essential industries. UFCW members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.
