Union leaders from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky held a press conference Wednesday to announce the launch of a unified organizing campaign and rally to reinstate former Amazon Air Hub worker Griffin Ritze.
Ritze has helped lead unionization efforts at Amazon's air hub at CVG and was fired from his tug driver position last week.
A spokesperson from Amazon said Ritze's firing had nothing to do with his organizing work, and he could be eligible for an appeals process to be reinstated. Ritze and other union supporters claim he was fired for attempting to attend and speak with other pro-union workers at an anti-union information session hosted by Amazon executives in December.
RELATED: Fired Amazon employee at CVG claims retaliation for union efforts
"Amazon is scared because they see that we're on the path to win and they can't stop us but they're going to try," Ritze said. "That's why they fired me last week. That's why, shamefully, they might fire other workers in the weeks and months ahead, but that's not the sign of a confident management. That's the sign of a management that sees our growing power and is scared."
Pro-union organizers at the air hub are demanding $30 an hour base pay, 180 hours of paid time off, translation services, and union representation at disciplinary meetings.
Local union leaders from the Cincinnati AFL-CIO, Ironworkers Local 44, the Boone County Education Association, and Boone County Classified Employees Association stood in support of Ritze and other Amazon Air Hub workers. AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Brian Griffin called Ritze's termination unjustified and said the move will only inspire more support for a unified workforce.
RELATED: Cincinnati officials support Amazon Air unionization effort
"Amazon management fired Griffin Ritze for activities that are protected under the National Labor Relations Act," he said. "We support Griffin. We support these Amazon workers and if Amazon thinks that by firing Griffin they can intimidate workers and break the union's momentum, they are gravely mistaken."
Ritze says the next step is to officially establish the union's plan, continue to work on building support among Amazon's air hub workforce, and eventually hold an election.
While he isn't currently an Amazon employee, Ritze told the media Wednesday he's not giving up, and will remain a part of the team working to unionize for as long as it takes.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
With the backing of other area unions, the Amazon Air Hub workers say the formal establishment of Amazon Labor Union-KCVG will start with a kickoff vote to ratify its constitution on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Florence Christian Church Activity Center from noon to 6 pm.
