Derrick Palmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derrick Palmer
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Derrick Palmer speaking at an All-Workers Militant Front event in Athens
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| Born | 1988/1989 (age 36–37) |
| Occupation | Labor organizer |
| Employer | Amazon |
| Known for | Workers' rights activism |
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Notable work
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Amazon Labor Union |
Derrick Palmer (born in 1988 or 1989) is an American labor activist. He is known for speaking up about workers' rights. He was a Vice President of Organizing for the Amazon Labor Union. Palmer works at the Amazon JFK8 sorting facility on Staten Island.
Contents
Early Life and Interests
Palmer was born in 1988 or 1989. He grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey. His mother raised him and worked in the pharmaceutical industry.
When he was in high school, Palmer tried playing football. However, he found it wasn't for him. His mother then encouraged him to try theater. He really enjoyed acting and hoped to become an actor someday. Palmer also went to community college for a while, but he later left.
Working at Amazon
Derrick Palmer started working at Amazon in 2016. His first job was in a warehouse in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey. There, he helped count products. Later, he moved to the JFK8 warehouse in New York City. He works there as a manager.
Starting the Amazon Labor Union
Palmer's good friend from the warehouse, Chris Smalls, was forced to leave Amazon. The company said he broke their social distancing rules. After this happened, Palmer and Smalls decided to work together. They wanted to start a group to help workers, called a union.
Together, they created the Amazon Labor Union. This union aims to improve working conditions and pay for Amazon employees.
Union Vote and Recognition
On April 1, 2022, the workers at the JFK8 warehouse voted. They decided that they wanted to form a union. This was a big step for the Amazon Labor Union.
Because of their efforts, Derrick Palmer and Chris Smalls were recognized for their work. Time Magazine named them two of the 100 most influential people of 2022. This showed how important their work for workers' rights was.
Speaking Up for Safety
On June 3, 2020, Palmer and two other co-workers took action. They, along with some family members, filed a lawsuit against Amazon. This lawsuit was on behalf of the JFK8 employees and their families.
The lawsuit claimed that Amazon did not do enough to protect workers' health. It said the company did not follow health guidelines. This led to concerns about a safe work environment for employees.
A judge looked at the lawsuit on November 2, 2020. The judge decided that another government agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, should handle such issues. So, the lawsuit was dismissed in that court. However, the legal team decided to appeal this decision on November 24, 2020. This means they asked a higher court to review the case.
See also
In Spanish: Derrick Palmer para niños
