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On the Clock is Motherboard's reporting on the organized labor movement, gig work, automation, and the future of work.
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Kate Kudrna, a spokesperson for Amazon, emphasized that the two companies were putting their drivers at risk by shutting down. “Last week, two Delivery Service Partners abruptly threatened to stop servicing the Amazon account and jeopardize the livelihood of their drivers if we did not pay them $36 million within 48 hours along with a string of other demands," she said. "We refused their demands and they followed through with their threat, terminating their contract with us, leaving their employees confused and looking for answers," she continued. "We’re doing everything we can to support the affected employees including connecting them with other Delivery Service Partners in the area who are hiring.”
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The letter states that Amazon distributes packages to drivers unevenly on the same 10-hour shifts, pushing some drivers to complete their shifts with more packages in ten hours to qualify for bonuses, pushing them to drive faster, presenting a danger to both drivers and the public. "Amazon may assign one driver 300 packages to deliver, while assigning a different driver 200 packages to deliver," the letter states. "The difference in package count does not correspond to the difficulty or challenges associated with a particular route. Consequently, in order to fully complete Amazon’s required routes in a single day, drivers must often work 12 hours a day, but Amazon only reimburses for a 10-hour shift."Rask, the delivery partners' attorney, says both companies will be filing a lawsuit against Amazon with similar allegations shortly.Are you an Amazon delivery service partner owner or manager with a tip to share with us? Please get in touch with the reporter Lauren by emailing Lauren.gurley@vice.com or securely on Signal 201-897-2109.