U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) arrives before the town hall meeting in the Queens borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 27, 2019.
REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo
Amazon responded Monday morning to Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s claim that it pays warehouse workers “starvation wages,” saying in a tweet that says it pays workers at least $15 per hour plus full benefits.
In response to a question about Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Ocasio-Cortez said whether Bezos is a billionaire or not is less of a concern to her than how the company’s policies impact Amazon warehouse workers.
Ocasio-Cortez said she was concerned that Bezos’ “being a billionaire is predicated on paying people starvation wages and stripping them of their ability to access healthcare, and also if his ability to be a billionaire is predicated on the fact that his workers are taking food stamps.”
Amazon tweeted a response to Ocasio-Cortez’s comments, saying: “Amazon is a leader on pay at $15 min wage + full benefits from day one. We also lobby to raise federal min wage.”
Amazon decided to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2018 after facing criticism for its pay disparity. In April, Bezos issued a challenge to other retailers to match Amazon’s pay and benefits.
