(NEW YORK, NY) – Chris Smalls, the worker who helped organize a walkout from an Amazon fulfillment center today, was informed that he would be dismissed from his position late this afternoon. Workers at Amazon’s JFK8 facility walked out due to the company’s lack of safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) issued the following statement:

“Workers should be protected when speaking out about safety conditions during this crisis. They are performing a public service. It is unacceptable that Amazon has terminated Chris Smalls for doing that today rather than addressing their serious COVID-19 safety problems.”