Our time is not disposable. We are demanding an end to mandatory overtime. All overtime must be voluntary and compensated at time-and-a-half, with surge pay during peak periods. We deserve real breaks that allow us to rest and recover: two paid 20-minute breaks and a full hour for lunch during every 10-hour shift. Flex workers must be guaranteed consistent minimum hours each week so they can depend on their paychecks—not be left scrambling to survive.

We want real career paths—not revolving doors. Amazon must prioritize internal promotions for Tier 1 and Tier 3 workers before hiring externally for management roles. Temporary “white badge” workers must be automatically converted to permanent “blue badge” status after 30 consecutive days of work. Disciplinary practices must follow Just Cause—no more secret write-ups, no more retaliatory firings, and no more disciplinary systems weaponized against workers. Every worker must have the right to union representation during any disciplinary meeting, in line with our federal Weingarten Rights.

We are also demanding stronger time off and leave protections. Our contract calls for 180 hours of Paid Time Off (PTO) each year, beginning on day one, plus 10 paid sick days annually. Whether you’re recovering from illness, caring for family, or facing a personal emergency, you deserve a clear, timely, and fair leave process—free from retaliation. The current system is broken. This contract will fix it.

We are fighting for real retirement security. That means a defined-benefit pension plan that fully vests after five years, backed by employer contributions. We are also demanding a 401(k) plan with a full employer match of up to 5% of salary and flexible investment options. And to ease the financial burden of getting to work, we want shuttle services, toll reimbursements, parking subsidies, and transit support—including 50% reimbursements on public transportation costs, up to $150/month.

Safety on the job is not negotiable—it’s a life-or-death issue. We are demanding guaranteed pay during hazardous weather closures, clear emergency protocols, and protections for workers who can’t safely commute. OSHA-aligned standards for temperature safety must be enforced, including emergency heating and cooling systems and proper protective gear. Health and safety training must be delivered in workers’ primary languages and developed in partnership with the union. We are calling for monthly safety inspections, a confidential hazard reporting system with 48-hour response windows, and ergonomic assessments to prevent injury. Workers must also have access to mental health support, including counseling, wellness programs, and crisis services. A Joint Union-Employer Safety Committee must meet quarterly—with the authority to convene emergency sessions when needed.

Finally, Amazon must provide meaningful, humane accommodations for disability, medical, religious, and family needs. This includes full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and all other relevant laws. But compliance alone isn’t enough. We are demanding faster responses, real support, and protections from retaliation—so that no worker is forced to choose between their health and their job. Inclusion and dignity for all must be non-negotiable.

This contract campaign is about more than policies on paper—it’s about power in the hands of workers. And we will fight until we win the contract we are owed.

Why We Believe in Open Bargaining

The Amazon Labor Union-IBT Local 1 is committed to open bargaining because we believe that real power comes from the bottom up—not from lawyers in suits or executives behind closed doors, but from the rank-and-file workers who move the company every single day. Open bargaining isn’t just a preference. It’s a necessity. It’s a reflection of the kind of union we are—and the kind of movement we’re trying to build.

In most union negotiations today, bargaining happens in secret. The bargaining committee enters a room with the company, and what’s said behind those doors stays there. Workers might get updates. They might be told to “trust the process.” But they’re not in the room. They don’t get to see the proposals. They don’t know what’s being traded or what’s being dropped. And too often, they don’t see the final deal until it’s time to vote yes or no.

We reject that model. We’ve seen what it leads to: backroom compromises, watered-down agreements, and members feeling shut out of decisions that directly affect their lives. At Amazon, a company that has spent years trying to break us, isolate us, and crush our organizing, we can’t afford to let decisions be made in the dark. That’s why we’re committed to a radically different approach: open, transparent, and democratic bargaining.

Open bargaining means that every union member has the right to witness negotiations. Not just a handful of representatives—not just a select committee—but all workers in the bargaining unit. It means workers can observe the process, hear what Amazon is proposing, see how our bargaining team is responding, and stay directly engaged in the fight. And it starts before we ever sit down at the table. From the moment we draft our contract proposals, we do it out in the open—based on surveys, assemblies, organizing conversations, and rank-and-file votes.

But we don’t stop at transparency. Open bargaining is a strategy. It’s how we make sure both Amazon and our own leadership are held accountable to the people who matter most: the workers. We know how management operates. They try to isolate us, to wear us down, to pit us against each other with misinformation, fake rumors, and divide-and-conquer tactics. Open bargaining undercuts all of that. With open bargaining, there’s no confusion about what’s happening at the table. No mystery about what’s being offered. No top-down decisions made behind closed doors. Everything is out in the open and everyone has a role to play.

This approach also prevents what we’ve seen in too many other unions: leadership cutting deals that benefit the few while leaving the majority behind. That will not happen here. The Amazon Labor Union was built by workers who fought tooth and nail to win representation—many of us with no prior union experience, just a vision for something better. That spirit of democratic, rank-and-file leadership defines us. It’s not just a tactic. It’s our foundation.

And here’s the truth: open bargaining doesn’t just help us negotiate a contract. It helps us win a contract. When the company knows we’re organized, informed, and united—when they see hundreds or thousands of workers watching the process, speaking out, and ready to mobilize—they can’t play the same games. They can’t count on apathy or confusion. They have to deal with the full force of an engaged and militant membership.

This is how we build a union that doesn’t just exist on paper, but one that lives and breathes on the shop floor. A union that doesn’t just sign contracts, but enforces them. A union where every member is a leader, and no one is left in the dark.

We’re not just trying to win better wages and benefits. We’re trying to build a different kind of labor movement—one rooted in transparency, democracy, and shop floor power. Open bargaining is a hallmark of that vision. It’s how we strengthen trust. It’s how we deepen participation. It’s how we turn unionism from something abstract into something real and collective. At Amazon, where the stakes are so high and the company’s power so vast, we need every tool we have. Open bargaining is one of the most powerful. That’s why we’re fighting for it—not just as a policy, but as a principle.