Amazon to open 2 cashier-less Whole Foods stores next year (AP)

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21. UFCW response

...my union for 36 years, Locals 400 and 27.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union announced its opposition to Amazon expanding its cashierless technology to other retailers, the latest move by the company to force this platform on more consumers and companies. UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued the following statement:

“Let there be no doubt that Amazon represents a direct threat to 16 million American retail jobs and is part of a ruthless strategy to eliminate as many good jobs as possible.

“This so-called cashierless technology is nothing but a trojan horse that will let Amazon control and monopolize competing retailers and give Jeff Bezos direct access to their customer data. It is time for regulators and our elected leaders to act before Amazon does lasting damage to our already-fragile economy.

“Every politician running in 2020 needs to tell voters whose side they are on. Will you roll over for billionaire CEOs like Jeff Bezos or will you stand up and fight for good American jobs?”




Amazon expanding its cashierless technology to its Amazon Fresh grocery stores, as well as licensing the technology other retailers, would likely:

Discriminate against over 24 million U.S. households which are underbanked
Threaten the jobs of America’s 16 million retail workers
Grow the cashierless retail tech market to $50 billion and force widespread adoption by other stores
Give Amazon unfair access to its competitors’ customer data, raising privacy concerns

https://www.ufcw.org/press-releases/amazontech/
https://www.ufcw.org/press-releases/ufcw-amazon-grocery-expansion-with-cashierless-technology-threatens-good-paying-jobs-of-essential-workers/

article:

UFCW calls out Amazon’s greed-driven pursuit of cashierless grocery stores
https://labortribune.com/ufcw-calls-out-amazons-greed-driven-pursuit-of-cashierless-grocery-stores/