FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2026
Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259
STATEMENT ON THE TRAGIC SHOOTING AT AMAZON BHM1 IN BESSEMER, ALABAMA
(BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA) – Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), issued the following statement today in response to the tragic shooting death of an employee at the Amazon BHM1 fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama:
“We are heartbroken and outraged by the senseless act of violence that occurred at the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family, friends, and co-workers of the young man whose life was taken far too soon. No person should ever have to fear for their life when they go to work.
“For years, workers at BHM1 have raised the alarm about the culture of intimidation and the misplaced priorities of Amazon management. This tragedy lays bare a sickening irony; Amazon spends millions of dollars on high-tech security, surveillance, and private contractors to protect its bottom line and to keep the union off its property. They have invested untold resources into monitoring workers’ every move to ensure maximum productivity and to stifle their voices.
“Yet, despite this massive expenditure on ‘security’ designed to protect profits and intimidate, the company failed in its most basic responsibility – protecting the actual lives of the people who work there. Amazon’s surveillance state is robust enough to track a worker’s time off task to the second, but it was apparently not strong enough to prevent a firearm from being brought on to the property and a worker from being shot and killed.
“Workers are tired of being told that their safety is a priority while the company’s actions prove otherwise. When 'security' is used as a tool for labor suppression rather than life safety, the results are catastrophic. Amazon must answer for how its security protocols failed so completely, and they must immediately address the safety concerns that workers have been shouting from the rooftops for years.
“The RWDSU stands with the workers in Bessemer. We will continue to demand a workplace where safety is not just a slogan on a banner, but a fundamental right that is protected with more vigor than an empty cardboard box of promises.”
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW, Twitter:@RWDSU, Instagram: @rwdsustrong.