Amazon Air Hub employees and union supporters rally outside KCVG in Hebron, Kentucky on March 18. Photo: Aidan Mahoney

Union organizers are bracing for Prime Day at Amazon’s largest-ever Air Hub facility, KCVG in Hebron, Kentucky.

The Amazon Prime Day, which is actually over July 11 and 12 this year, is the annual sales event when Prime subscription members can take advantage of deals across the site.

Prime day orders were the highest ever in 2022, with more than 300 million items purchased worldwide and more than 100,000 items purchased per minute, according to Amazon.

Griffin Ritze, a KCVG Air Hub ramp employee and union organizer, told CityBeat the company makes billions during Prime Day while employees work strenuous shifts.

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“Amazon made $12 billion in sales during Prime Day last year. For our coworkers at KCVG that means handling more packages, working longer hours, and facing pressure from management to cut corners to make sure that flights go out on time.”

Union-organizing employees at KCVG said they will hold a union rally and “Family Day” on July 15 in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, after working the “grueling” weeks that make Prime Day happen for customers.

“Let’s come together after a grueling few weeks, and talk about next steps in building our union,” the announcement reads.

The last union rally workers organized was held outside the KCVG facility and included a speech from Amazon Labor Union president Chris Smalls. When asked why this rally was a “Family Day,” Ritze said the company stokes division among coworkers based on background.

“Amazon exploits divisions along race, language, shift, department to divide us,” Ritze said. “That’s why this rally and family day event is so important to bring us all together to spend time with our families and discuss how our worker-led union can win lasting change at KCVG.”

Amazon did not immediately respond to CityBeat‘s request for comment on the statements from Ritze or the planned rally.

The rally is scheduled for July 15 from 2-6 p.m. at General Ormsby Mitchell Park
in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.

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What do Amazon workers want?

Some employees at the Air Hub, which moves more than 30% of the nation’s Amazon products, have been pushing to join the ACL since late 2022.

KCVG union organizers are demanding a $30 hourly wage for all of the Air Hub’s 4,000 employees, as well as 180 hours of paid time off and union representation at disciplinary hearings. Employees currently make an average of $19 per hour, and would need to work at the company for six years or more to receive 120 hours of annual paid vacation time, or 15 days.

Air Hub employees started union efforts in November after management announced there would be no peak pay for the 2022 holiday rush. Peak pay in 2021 was an extra $2 per hour — which workers say helps compensate for what they face when Amazon package volumes swell and employees are required to perform mandatory overtime with a freeze on paid time off.

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This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 11, 2023.