America’s Largest Retail Union Calls Amazon Platform Threat to 16 Million Jobs, Trojan Horse to Access Customer Data of Competitors
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union announced its opposition to Amazon expanding its cashierless technology to other retailers, the latest move by the company to force this platform on more consumers and companies. UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued the following statement:
“Let there be no doubt that Amazon represents a direct threat to 16 million American retail jobs and is part of a ruthless strategy to eliminate as many good jobs as possible.
“This so-called cashierless technology is nothing but a trojan horse that will let Amazon control and monopolize competing retailers and give Jeff Bezos direct access to their customer data. It is time for regulators and our elected leaders to act before Amazon does lasting damage to our already-fragile economy.
“Every politician running in 2020 needs to tell voters whose side they are on. Will you roll over for billionaire CEOs like Jeff Bezos or will you stand up and fight for good American jobs?”
Background:
As reported today by Reuters, Amazon will sell the technology behind its cashier-less stores to other retailers. In Amazon Go stores, this technology faced a national backlash from customers and lawmakers for discriminating against low-income shoppers and threatening good jobs.
Amazon expanding its cashierless technology to other retailers would likely:
- Discriminate against over 24 million U.S. households are underbanked
- Threaten the jobs of America’s 16 million retail workers
- Grow the cashierless retail tech market to $50 billion and force widespread adoption
- Give Amazon unfair access to its competitors’ customer data, raising privacy concerns
This comes less than two weeks after Amazon opened its first full-size cashierless grocery store in Seattle, the company’s biggest move yet in a ruthless strategy to take over America’s $800 billion grocery industry.
Together, these recent moves are part of a broader and aggressive campaign by Amazon to further dominate the U.S. retail industry and force its competitors to rely on Amazon technology to stay in business.
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The UFCW is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.3 million professionals and their families in healthcare, grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail shops and other industries. Our members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at www.ufcw.org.