Jeff Bezos is nothing if not consistent. Again and again, he descends to meet or exceed expectations. Latest example: the firing on Monday of Christian Smalls, an employee at Amazon’s Staten Island, New York warehouse, and an organizer of a walkout to protest what he and others consider an insufficient response to safety concerns at the site in light of the coronavirus pandemic. After a worker was diagnosed with COVID-19, many workers thought the facility should have shut down for intensive cleaning. Amazon thought otherwise. A company spokesperson confirmed Smalls’ dismissal, attributing it to his refusal to observe a self-quarantine after exposure.
The aggressive move by Amazon resonated. On Wednesday, representatives of seven labor unions penned a letter to “Jeff Bezos and Amazon Executives.” Those unions — the AFL-CIO; Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; United Food and Commercial Workers International Union; American Federation of Teachers; Service Employees International Union and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters — were joined by a group called Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.
The writers said they are “shocked at reports that Amazon warehouses are not practicing the protocols necessary to protect the well-being of your workers and of

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