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Derrick Palmer

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Derrick Palmer
Derrick Palmer speaking at an All-Workers Militant Front event in Athens
Born1988 or 1989 (age 35–36)
OccupationLabor organizer
EmployerAmazon
Known forWorkers' rights activism
Notable workAmazon Labor Union

Derrick Palmer (born 1988 or 1989)[1] is an American labor activist and whistleblower. He was Vice President of Organizing of the Amazon Labor Union. He works at the Amazon JFK8 sorting facility on Staten Island.[2]

Early life and education

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Palmer grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey to a single mother who worked in the pharmaceutical industry. In high school, Palmer attempted to play football, but said it wasn't for him. His mother enrolled him in theater, which he enjoyed and led him to aspire to become an actor.[1] Palmer attended community college, but dropped out.[3][4]

Activism at Amazon

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Palmer joined Amazon in a warehouse in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey[5] in 2016 where he counted product inventory. He later transferred to New York City's JFK8 warehouse, where he is a manager.[1][6][7][8][9]

After Palmer's best friend from the warehouse, Chris Smalls, was forced out due to what Amazon said was a violation of the company's social distancing policies, the two decided to start a unionization effort. Together they started the Amazon Labor Union.[10]

The JFK8 warehouse voted in favor of unionizing on April 1, 2022.[10]

Palmer and Chris Smalls were named two of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2022.[11]

Palmer v. Amazon

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On June 3, 2020, Palmer and two other colleagues, along with three of their family members, filed a lawsuit against Amazon on behalf of JFK8 employees and their families. They are represented by Make the Road New York, Public Justice, Terrell Marshall Law Group, and Towards Justice. The lawsuit alleged that Amazon "unreasonably" interfered with the workers' right to public health and failed to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and New York State public health laws, resulting in an alleged breach in Amazon's duty to provide a safe working environment.[12][13] The lawsuit was dismissed on November 2, 2020, after Judge Brian Cogan determined the jurisdiction was with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The legal team filed an appeal on November 24, 2020.[14][15][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Velasquez, Josefa (March 24, 2022). "Meet the DIY Duo Behind the Amazon Labor Union's Guerrilla Bid to Make History". THE CITY.
  2. ^ Newsham, Jack; Long, Katherine. "Amazon Labor Union's vice president, Derrick Palmer, resigns after assault charges become public". Business Insider.
  3. ^ Scheiber, Noam (April 28, 2022). "The Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Kantor, Jodi; Weise, Karen (April 2, 2022). "How Two Best Friends Beat Amazon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  5. ^ Velasquez, Josefa (April 1, 2022). "A Cinderella Story: How Staten Island Amazon Workers Won Against the Multi-Billion-Dollar Company". THE CITY.
  6. ^ Kantor, Jodi; Weise, Karen (April 15, 2022). "Amazon vs. the Union". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  7. ^ Weise, Karen; Marcos, Coral Murphy (October 21, 2021). "Amazon Workers on Staten Island Aim for Union Vote". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  8. ^ ""We Just Unionized Amazon": How Two Best Friends Beat the Retail Giant". Democracy Now!. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "Chris Smalls started Amazon's 1st union. He's now heard from workers at 50 warehouses". NPR.org. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Kantor, Jodi; Weise, Karen (April 2, 2022). "How Two Best Friends Beat Amazon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  11. ^ "Derrick Palmer and Chris Smalls: TIME100 2022". May 23, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Palmer v. Amazon".
  13. ^ Palmer, Annie (June 6, 2020). "Amazon warehouse workers file lawsuit claiming 'sloppy contact tracing'". CNBC. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  14. ^ Kantor, Jodi; Weise, Karen; Ashford, Grace (June 15, 2021). "The Amazon That Customers Don't See". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  15. ^ Pullano, Nina (May 19, 2021). "Amazon Workers Fight to Revive Covid-19 Safety Suit". Courthouse News. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
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