Tonight, UNI Global Union and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), filed an amicus brief in the case brought by Derrick Palmer, Kendia Mesidor, Benita Rouse, Alexander Rouse, Barbara Chandler and Luis Pellot-Chandler v. Amazon.com Inc. and Amazon.com Services LLC, which argues that the e-commerce giant must protect warehouse workers and the community at large from COVID-19…

“We must not forget that as New York City begins re-opening we are Still in the midst of extraordinary challenges. The safety of workers, customers and all New Yorkers must be our primary concern. This includes making sure workers have all the health and safety protections and preventative measures in place in their workplaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But it also means that all New Yorkers must continue to do their part including wearing masks in public, and especially when they are in retail stores. Many of our members are eager to begin the re-opening of the city and going back to work, but they want to do so safely…

“The murder of George Floyd has surfaced a rage and grief that has built up over centuries of injustice in our country. The outrage, frustration, anger, and fear that black Americans are feeling stems from the long history of racism embedded in our society. The murder of George Floyd is only the latest death of a black person by the hands of police…

As the Empire State takes its first tentative steps toward reopening the economy, nothing is more important than ensuring we do it the right way. Part of this process will be the reopening of retail stores, most of which have been shuttered since March. And the single most important condition of reopening retail is ensuring the safety of employees and customers.