SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA – In the bustling Amazon air hub in San Bernardino, employees strive to complete the packaging and shipping of packages, but some express concern over the reduction in allotted rest time.
“Every summer, we face a battle for our breaks due to the relentless heat,” shared Cynthia Ayala, a ramp agent at the center.
Ayala dedicates four 10-hour shifts per week and works overtime hours loading and unloading planes. According to California labor laws, workers are entitled to three 10-minute breaks if they work more than 10 hours. However, Ayala and her colleagues rarely enjoy that third break.
“I know someone who worked six days a week, 11.5 hours each day,” Ayala mentioned. “Due to the lack of breaks during those long hours, they nearly got into a car accident on their way home due to extreme fatigue.”
Amazon has yet to provide comments on the raised concerns. However, in a press release about their first-quarter earnings, the company announced plans to invest over $750 million to improve worker safety in their network this year.
Inland Empire Amazon Workers United has led recent protests and filed state complaints, alleging violations of labor laws in Amazon’s distribution centers, where tens of thousands of people work.
Employees claim that the lack of breaks amounts to wage theft. “We demand that Amazon compensate us for the time lost, as every time a third 10-minute break is denied, we are owed an hour of pay,” stated Ayala.
Amazon workers in San Bernardino seek for the company to respect their three breaks without interfering with overtime opportunities and to pay them the withheld wages.
