February 25, 2020
Press Contact: Joe Mizrahi, jmizrahi@ufcw21.org

UFCW 21 Statement on Amazon’s Newest Cashierless Grocery Store

Our customers aren’t clamoring for more checkout robots and fewer human staff around to assist them. In fact, local union grocery PCC removed self-checkout kiosks last year because customers value their relationships with their checkers. We know this industry, like many, is changing as technology changes, but we believe workers should have a say in that change and that new tech should be focused on customer experience, not just corporate profits.

It’s too bad that Amazon continues investing vast sums in technology that is just a solution in search of a problem nobody is facing. Instead of creating overly automated stores, which are unlikely to be economically viable for simple grocery items, Amazon could choose to invest in their workers with fair wages and benefits so workers can support their families and live in our community.

Grocery store workers in our region have fought hard to set high standards in our industry, including the right to bargain over our wages and working conditions. Union grocery store workers here have affordable family health care, a secure pension in retirement, and a voice on the job. We invest in our communities and we’re committed to our customers. And we know our community values good jobs all the way through the food chain. Amazon, on the other hand, is most notorious in the industry for unilaterally slashing health benefits for thousands of Whole Foods workers last year and having their workplaces constantly compared to dystopian science fiction.

UFCW 21 is working to build a powerful union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and our communities. We represent over 46,000 workers in retail, grocery stores, health care, cannabis, and other industries in Washington State. When workers are ready to form a union, give UFCW 21 a call.