Mallika Mitra

CNBC

Amazon responds to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s claim that it pays warehouse workers “starvation wages” in a tweet that says it pays workers $15 an hour plus full benefits.

Amazon tweets at Ocasio-Cortez, saying: “Amazon is a leader on pay at $15 min wage + full benefits from day one. We also lobby to raise federal min wage.”

Amazon responded Monday to a comment by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., that it pays warehouse workers “starvation wages,” saying in a tweet that it pays workers at least $15 per hour plus full benefits.

In response to a question on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday about Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Ocasio-Cortez said whether Bezos is a billionaire is less of a concern to her than how the company’s policies impact Amazon warehouse workers.

Ocasio-Cortez said she was concerned that Bezos’ “being a billionaire is predicated on paying people starvation wages and stripping them of their ability to access health care, and also if his ability to be a billionaire is predicated on the fact that his workers are taking food stamps.”

Amazon tweeted a response to Ocasio-Cortez’s comments, saying: “Amazon is a leader on pay at $15 min wage + full benefits from day one. We also lobby to raise federal min wage.”

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Amazon’s head of communications, Jay Carney, later tweeted that Ocasio-Cortez should change the minimum wage law.

Ocasio-Cortez was one of the most outspoken public critics of Amazon’s plan to move its second headquarters to Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, before Amazon pulled out.

Amazon decided to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2018 after facing criticism for its pay disparity.

In April, Bezos issued a challenge to other retailers to match Amazon’s pay and benefits.

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