TikTok celebrities with more than 51 million followers have announced they will not work with Amazon until the e-commerce company makes important concessions to workers and stops anti-union measures.
An advocacy organization calling itself Gen-Z for Change said it organized a “People Over Prime Pledge” from more than 70 popular TikTok artists to show sympathy to Amazon workers.
The vow refers to Amazon Prime, a paid subscription from the online retailer that includes benefits such as faster deliveries, but also the strain it places on those who work to fill the orders.
“We are calling on Amazon to listen to its workers and make tangible improvements to their workplace environment,” the group wrote in a letter, emphasizing TikTok’s billion-plus members.
“Unless we make changes, we will block Amazon from monetizing one of the world’s largest social networking networks.”
The coalition is advocating for a minimum hourly pay of $30, improved medical leave, and relaxation of productivity requirements for the company’s employees.
The group also wants Amazon, which has traditionally opposed unionization efforts in its US locations, to back off.
Activism on TikTok
“We’ve always known how important creators are to the Amazon marketing model,” Elise Joshi, Gen-Z for Change’s director of strategy, said on Monday.
“Makers, particularly TikTok creators, are the gateway to young people; we are recovering that power,” the 20-year-old continued.
Amazon’s Influencer Program, which debuted five years ago, allows TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms’ artists to earn money by promoting products in postings and directing purchasers to the e-commerce business.
Some, but not all, coalition members were associated with the partnership initiative, which began last week with a refusal to do business with Amazon, including direct sponsorships and the use of the e-commerce titan’s storefront.
The organizers of Gen-Z for Change reasoned that the ability to reach tens of millions of young internet users comes with the responsibility to advocate for social justice.
The demands, in this case, are those made by labor organizers who won a vote earlier this year to open the first union shop at one of Amazon’s US warehouses.
“The health, safety, and welfare of our employees is our top priority,” Amazon spokesman Paul Flanigan said in response to a question, adding that the company has invested billions of dollars in employee safety measures, technology, and other safeguards.
