EAST POINT, Ga. — People who work at Amazon warehouses in Fulton and DeKalb Counties rallied together Wednesday to demand better pay, while also accusing the company of unfair labor practices at its East Point location.
The people who protested want a $5 an hour raise and a minimum $18 an hour base pay for all workers at the East Point facility.
They gathered and chanted together outside the warehouse.
“I can't think of any good experiences working there," Brandon Callaway said.
Callaway is a single father who attended the rally with his 3-year-old son.
“My doctor's excuses or my letters from my doctor in the hospital were always denied. They wouldn't even touch them," Callaway said.
Callaway said he's battling stage five kidney disease and helped to organize the movement pushing for the $5 an hour raises for all employees at the East Point warehouse.
“I hope that there can be some change in Amazon. The inflation is crazy. $15 an hour. I don't know who can live off of that. I mean, you know, that's barely anything nowadays," Callaway said.
He claims he was was fired shortly after leading the effort for better pay.
“We delivered that petition. I recorded the whole thing. I believe I was the only one that recorded it," Callaway said. "I got fired two days later for recording HR at Amazon.”
Callaway believes the company retaliated against him and is among a group of employees who filed two unfair labor practice lawsuits.
“I filed for discrimination and retaliation," Callaway said.
“If you want to tear down the bridges to let your yachts go through, we’re just trying to get back and forth to work," Cynthia Winters said.
Winters works at the East Point warehouse and said she's trying to help her son pay for college.
“They want you to stay hydrated, but how can you stay hydrated when you have water coolers that have mold in them, or you might find a roach in your ice machine. If you’re trying to stay awake, you might find a roach in the coffee machine," Winters said.
Callaway said the stress has taken a toll on his physical and mental health.
“I'm unemployed for a month now, so I have no income. It's been hard. I had to apply for food stamps," Callaway said. "It's been I've been having anxiety. How am I going to feed my son?”
Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha told 11Alive; "We don’t believe there is any merit to these claims filed with the NLRB, and look forward to presenting the facts as that process moves forward.”
The company added that it’s investing $1 billion over the next year to permanently raise hourly pay for frontline employees and will continue looking for ways to improve their experience.