Amazon workers strike West Coast air facility
Warehouse workers at Amazon's largest air freight facility on the West Coast walked off the job Monday, demanding higher pay and relief from hot conditions they say are unsafe.
Organizers with a group called Inland Empire Amazon Workers United said in a Facebook post that 160 employees walked out at the San Bernardino International Airport facility, which is a critical part of Amazon's logistics network and one of the company's three U.S. "air hubs."
In a statement, Amazon officials disputed the number, saying 74 out of roughly 1,500 employees at the facility walked out.
About 900 employees at the San Bernardino airport have signed a petition calling for base pay to be increased from $17 per hour to $22 per hour, Inland Empire Amazon Workers United said in a statement.
"Amazon could deliver a higher standard for workers, but they don't," said Sara Fee, who has worked at the air hub since it opened in March 2021. "The people are what makes it all work, and we are strong and united to fight for what we deserve."
Puerto Rico boosts cruise ship docks
Puerto Rico's governor on Tuesday announced a public-private partnership to overhaul the island's cruise ship docks as part of a $425 million project to boost the U.S. territory's tourism sector.
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said the project aims to transform Puerto Rico into the Caribbean's main cruise ship destination by modernizing, repairing and expanding nine docks located in the capital of San Juan to receive larger vessels and more passengers.
"It's an extremely important day for tourism in Puerto Rico," said Carlos Mercado, executive director for the island's Tourism Company.
San Juan Cruise Port - a subsidiary of London-based Global Ports Holding, the world's largest cruise port operator - will be responsible for operating and overseeing the project as part of a 30-year deal with Puerto Rico's Ports Authority that was five years in the making. The contract states the island's government will receive annual payments representing at least 5% of the operator's gross income.
As part of the deal, the number of docks currently capable of serving as base port for four cruise ships at a time will double to eight.
Airbnb adds limits to block house parties
Airbnb says it will use new methods to spot and block people who try to use the short-term rental service to throw a party.
The company said Tuesday it has introduced technology that examines the would-be renter's history on Airbnb, how far they live from the home they want to rent, whether they're renting for a weekday or weekend, and other factors.
Airbnb said the screening system it is rolling out for listings in the United States and Canada has been tested since last October in parts of Australia, where it produced a 35% drop in unauthorized parties.
The San Francisco-based company said the technology is designed to prevent a customer's request for reservation from ever reaching the host of the property involved. Airbnb said people blocked from renting an entire home might be able to book a single room because the host is more likely to be around.
Airbnb has been under growing pressure to clamp down on parties since 2019, when a Halloween house party in a San Francisco suburb ended with five people dead in a shooting.
The following year, Airbnb announced a worldwide party ban at its listings and banned people under 25 from renting an entire house near their home unless they had a record of positive reviews on the site.
Amazon raises fees for 3rd party sellers
Amazon is raising charges on third-party sellers again - this time adding a holiday fee for merchants who use the company's fulfillment services to pack and ship items to customers.
From Oct. 15 to Jan. 23, sellers will be hit with a fee of $0.35 per item sold using Amazon's fulfillment services in the U.S. and Canada, according to a notice the company sent to merchants Tuesday.
It's the second fee hike imposed on merchants this year by the online retail behemoth. In April, the company added a 5% "fuel and inflation" surcharge to offset rising gas costs and inflation, which is running close to its highest level in four decades.
To use Amazon's fulfillment services, merchants already have to pay a fee that varies based on an item's size, weight or category.
In the notice sent Tuesday, Amazon noted the holiday season increases fulfillment and logistics costs due to the volume of shipments being transported. The company said it previously absorbed these cost increases. But seasonal expenses were now "reaching new heights," it said.
"Our selling partners are incredibly important to us, and this is not a decision we made lightly," the company said.
- Compiled by Dave Flessner