A group of Amazon employees at a Southeast Michigan warehouse walked off the job Wednesday, citing concerns for their safety amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Employees who participated in the walkout Wednesday afternoon were concerned the company’s fulfillment center in Romulus was still open despite positive cases of coronavirus occurring at the facility, the Detroit Free Press reported.

“We are scared to go to work and disgusted at Amazon’s disregard for our safety and our health and the health of our neighbors,” Tonya Ramsay, a leader of the walkout and a worker at DTW1, told the Detroit Free Press. “We aren’t heroes and we aren’t Red Cross workers – we are working people who pack and deliver goods. We’re working through a crisis not by choice but by necessity.”

The walkout in Michigan comes after Amazon workers in New York organized a walkout earlier this week. One of the workers who organized that walkout was fired, according to The Associated Press.

An Amazon spokesperson said less than 15 of the location’s 4,000 employees took part in Wednesday’s demonstration and noted the company has taken “extreme measures” to keep employees safe during the coronavirus pandemic, including deep cleaning, providing safety supplies and changing processes to ensure employees are keeping safe distances.

The company is consulting with local and federal health authorities and experts to determine how to handle building closures for deep cleaning if an employee tests positive for the disease.

“Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis," a statement from the company read. “The truth is the vast majority of employees continue to show up and do the heroic work of delivering for customers every day.”

A company spokesperson said no disciplinary action will be taken against employees who participated in the walkout.

The walkout had support from the group Progress Michigan, whose executive director Lonnie Scott said in a statement that workers “have every right to stand up for their safety.”

“Right now we are in a serious global pandemic, and workers who continue to be called to work during this crisis deserve the safest work environment possible," Scott said.

Read all of MLive’s coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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