Last Updated on October 23, 2022 by BVN

Aryana Noroozi |

“Every single one of us that live in the Inland Empire needs to wake up and see what kind of jobs we have in our region,” said Ricardo Cisneros, member of the Inland Empire Labor Council.

On Friday, October 14 workers walked off the job at KSBD Amazon Airhub, the online retailer’s warehouse, to protest unfair and unsafe working conditions and to demand living wages.  The warehouse is key to Amazon operations, with its close proximity to the San Bernardino International Airport, a major center of transport for the national logistics industry. Days prior, Amazon workers in Joliet, Illinois, also walked out on the job to protest unfair labor practices. 

The KSBD Amazon Airhub picketers protested against unfair and unsafe working conditions and demanded living wages. Community organizations and environmental groups also joined the picket in support of protesters including the Warehouse Workers Resource Center, Teamsters Union and The Inland Empire Labor Council.

The IE Voice photographed and highlighted different community voices involved in this fight as they shared their concern, hope, and motivation for improved working conditions.

Javier Lopez poses for a portrait during a picket outside of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse. “Unfortunately, a lot of us didn’t have either personal time or unpaid time to join the protests. But I’m here for them, I’m there with them,” said Lopez about his coworkers at Amazon. “We are the people, we have the power to support each other. Take care of one another.” When Lopez began working at the warehouse he thought of it as an “opportunity to grow with the company,” but eventually he injured his lower back on the job. He says he then witnessed retaliation, leaving him without workers compensation for three months. Lopez said at this point he decided it was “time to step it up” and go back to school.  He is currently writing a paper about the working conditions he experienced and is studying video game design at Chaffey College.  (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Amazon workers chant as they march the picket line in front of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse.  (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Across the street from the picket at KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse, organizers display airbrushed banners that read,“Workers deserve good jobs, clean air.” The organizers set up multiple tents for the various labor and environmental organizations involved with the fight to provide handouts and resources to the community. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Juan A. poses for a portrait beside the front gate of the Amazon warehouse he works at in San Bernardino.  He said his greatest struggle as an Amazon worker is being able to make a living. “With gas prices going up, inflation going up, and I’m… barely making it right now.” (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Alfonso Rodriguez leads the picket march around an entrance to KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Junming Wu poses for a portrait during a protest against Amazon’s labor practices outside KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse in San Bernardino. Wu became involved in the fight for better working conditions for warehouse workers after living with his roommate who works in warehousing.  “I see him take four to six hours of sleep everyday.” Wu said.  “While Amazon is making so much money every black Friday, every prime day, every Christmas, they are just making bank but their workers are being exploited. They are not getting the treatment that they deserve.”  Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Trucks carrying shipping containers are parked in a lot across the street from KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse. The San Bernardino Airport is central to the industrial area that is ranked to have one of the worst air qualities in the state. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Sara Fee poses for a portrait after speaking about her experience as an Amazon worker at the picket outside of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse in San Bernardino. “We’re struggling, we have to make hard choices,” said Fee. “We’re working for the biggest corporation in California, Amazon, and I have to choose whether to buy food or gas.”   Fee says Amazon has ignored a lot of the issues that workers and advocates have raised and that they must continue fighting for safe working conditions and against retaliation. “It’s not always just about the pay. It’s about the way they treat the workers.”  (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Andrea Viduarre, an activist with The People’s Collective for Environmental Justice, poses for a portrait during the picket in front of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse. “When we think about environmental racism, the worker is the frontline,” she said. When this Amazon facility was opened, environmentalists asked Amazon to “come to the table” to agree to implement prevailing wages, not union bust, invest in the right technology in order to ensure their pollution footprint would not add to the pre-existing detrimental air quality of the area.  Viduarre says Amazon refused to have the conversation. “The same thing we’re asking from Bloomington we’re asking for here,” she said referring to the rural equestrian community in San Bernardino County fighting for safe development and against warehouses next to homes and schools. “You need to make development sustainable and safe for people and that’s why we’re here.” (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Protesters take a break from marching the picket line and talk next to a sign that protesters decorated in the entrance of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Ricardo Cisneros, member of the Inland Empire Labor Council, poses for a portrait on the picket line outside of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse. The Inland Empire Labor Council represents 94 unions, with over 398,000 members. Cisneros describes Amazon as a “low road employer,” employers that are not paying fair wages, “what I would call mortgage sustainable wages to the workers,” Cisneros said.  “Every single one of us that live in the Inland Empire, needs to wake up and see what kind of jobs we have in our region,” said Cisneros. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
A vendor hired by The Warehouse Workers Resource Center prepares vasos de fruta near the picket outside of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse. The Warehouse Workers Resource Center organized taco and vasos de fruta meals for picket participants. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Left: Sara Fee, a worker at KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse, speaks at the picket. The crowd booed as she recounted how workers recently received a one dollar raise and that she did not even notice a difference in her paycheck and was taxed more for her benefits. Right: Picketers outside of KSBD, the Amazon air hub warehouse boo as Amazon worker, Sara Fee speaks about the one dollar raised workers recently received after they presented a list of demands to Amazon. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
Vendors hired by the Warehouse Workers Resource Center sit and chat with each other after serving lunch to picket participants. The Warehouse Workers Resource Center organized taco and vasos de fruta meals for picket participants. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom / CatchLight Local, October 14, 2022).
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Aryana Noroozi

Black Voice News photojournalist Aryana Noroozi was born in San Diego, California and graduated with a master’s degree from The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Her love for visual storytelling led her to document immigrant and deportee communities and those struggling with addiction. She was a 2020 Pulitzer Center Crisis Reporting Fellow and a GroundTruth Project Migration Fellow. She is currently a CatchLight/Report for America corps member employed by Black Voice News. You can learn more about her at aryananoroozi.com. You can email her at aryana@blackvoicenews.com.