Next stop: May 24th, hundreds will rally at Amazon's shareholder meeting right here in Seattle to call on the giant retailer to be accountable to the 99%.
We hold Amazon accountable for:
Taking advantage of unfair tax loopholes.
- Amazon paid an effective Federal income tax rate last year of only 2.6%--dramatically lower than the 35% rate set by law.
- As their revenues have grown rapidly over the past several years, their income tax rate has gone down, from more than 11% in 2008, to less than 3% in 2011.
- Amazon avoided paying millions in taxes by taking advantage of an outlandish loophole that gives a $1 tax deduction for every $1 in stock options they give to millionaire executives.
We hold Amazon accountable for:
Brutal conditions at its sweatshop warehouses.
- Amazon's giant warehouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania was exposed last year for nightmarish working conditions, including indoor temperatures that rose above 100 degrees in the summer.
- The company's initial response was not to increase ventilation or install air conditioning. Instead, they stationed paramedics outside the warehouse.
- Similarly brutal conditions have been documented in Nevada and Kentucky.
We hold Amazon accountable for:
Supporting the extreme right-wing group known as ALEC.
- Amazon was a "Director Level" sponsor of ALEC in 2011.
- ALEC has become notorious for its support of Stand Your Ground Laws, as well as efforts to create tax loopholes, undermine worker rights, and make it harder for young people and people of color to vote.
- While major corporations like McDonald's and Kraft have publicly dropped support for ALEC, Amazon refuses to do so.
