South Bend Mayor stance on Amazon protests in Minnesota raising questions at home

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg wrote on Facebook that he was in support of Amazon protestors in Minnesota as they held a demonstration outside a fulfillment center on Monday. 

The group was protesting alleged poor working conditions and low wages for Amazon.com employees on the first day of the corporation’s major two-day sales event called Amazon Prime Day. In a Facebook post, South Bend Mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg wrote the following: 

“Employees of the company run by the richest person on earth should not have to demand safe, reliable, and fair working conditions. Amazon.com workers in Minnesota took a stand for fair labor practices, respect, and pathways for promotion for communities of color. I stand with them.”

Amazon is expected to bring in $5.8 billion from Prime Day, according to National research. Tony Flora, president of the North Central Indiana AFL-CIO, agrees with Mayor Buttigieg’s statement. 

“Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest man on the planet,” said Flora. “And yet people have to work at amazon under the worst working conditions.”

ABC 57 News confirmed in April that the corporation plans to open its first delivery station in South Bend this year. Some community members aren’t happy with the move because of allegations of poor working conditions for employees. 

On Friday, July 26, a group called ‘No Amazon South Bend’ plans to protest the Amazon move at Great Lakes Capital on West Jefferson Boulevard. 

The Mayor’s Office and his campaign team did not immediately respond to ABC 57 News when asked if Mayor Buttigieg will have the same concerns with potential South Bend employees that he expressed for those in Minnesota.  

“I would welcome to stand with them and I’m sure he would,” said Flora.