We like to believe that hard work pays off. But in America nowadays, it seems like the harder you work, the less you earn. Three years ago, Chris Smalls was clocking 10 to 12 hours a day, working a grueling shift on his feet at Amazon's Staten Island fulfillment center. He handled about 400 packages an hour and was a steward for one of the company's principles, "Work hard, have fun and make history." According to Smalls, the principle should be, "You work hard, and it's not fun, and the history comes when they fire you."
When I spoke to Smalls on "Salon Talks," he shared why he has been dedicating his life to organizing as the founder and president of the Amazon Labor Union since he was fired by the company in 2020 (for a reason he disputes). Amazon spent over $14 million last year on anti-union consultants, attempting to shut Smalls down, but he prevailed and is now steps closer to a union contract. Smalls's revolutionary story is detailed in the Sean Claffey-directed documentary "Americonned," available now on VOD.
