Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 26, 2021 AMAZON | FROM PAGE 1 and benefits. Amazon plans construction of a massive fulfillment center on Squire Road, right at the Malden-Revere city line, at the shuttered longtime entertainment center Showcase Cinema, and for the first time in 40 years, the site is bereft of previews and popcorn. Northbridge Corp., a Wakefield-based developer, purchased the site from National Amusements. It will be leasing the 102,000 square foot site to Amazon, which will repurpose the land for another fulfillment center, its second in Revere. Councillor Sica’s resolve – offered after a discussion and request with Teamsters Local 25 Union officials – urged Amazon officials to ensure that “its operations meet or exceed current Community Standards established by existing e-commerce delivery networks,” according to the resolution. The resolution went on, “This commitment would include that all delivery drivers will be direct employees of Amazon and not independent contractors. “Amazon must commit that all of its delivery drivers will be competent, safe drivers, that Amazon and its delivery drivers will maintain the utmost professional conduct in their dayto-day operations in the neighborhoods of the city of Malden.” “Our city has a long history of supporting workers and unions and we would support Amazon workers in the same way we did Stop & Shop and National Grid union members in the past,” Councillor Sica said. “We have all benefitted from Amazon in the COVID-19 pandemic. They have delivered 25 billion packages in this country and posted a $385 billion profit in 2020, they can afford to pay their workers fair wages.” The Malden City Council’s resolution comes in the same time frame as a historic voting period for Amazon workers attempting to unionize for the first time. The National Labor Relations Board rejected Amazon’s attempt to delay a union vote set to begin on Monday, February 8. Councillor Sica’s resolution drew support across the Council when it was presented at Tuesday night’s virtual City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, the only item on the agenda, and unanimously approved by an 11-0 vote. At the Revere-Malden city line, Amazon will soon be operating a major fulfillment and delivery operation connected to its e-commerce company. (Courtesy Photo) Ward 3 Councillor Amanda Linehan, who works as communications director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), a regional planning agency serving the 101 cities and towns of Metro Boston, backed the proposal along with her colleagues. She also shared some information she had been compiling on the very subject of e-commerce retailing for the MAPC recently. “Online shopping is here to stay,” Councillor Linehan assertMalden City Council Resolution to Amazon on the siting of a new fulfillment center on the Revere-Malden city line 7 1-21 WHEREAS, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the health, safety, and well-being of the residents of the City of Malden; and, WHEREAS, The preventative measures put in place to combat COVID-19 by state and local agencies to prevent the spread and curtail transmission of the coronavirus have had a devastating economic impact on local retail establishments, and have changed the retail options for the residents in the City of Malden; and, WHEREAS, Existing retail and e-commerce delivery networks currently operate in the City of Malden and set community standards for every family with sustaining wages, benefits including but not limited to quality health insurance and secure retirement; and, WHEREAS, Malden’s retail and e-commerce delivery options coexist in diverse neighborhoods, while adding value to the fabric of the community, including offering good careers for Malden residents to provide for their families; and, WHEREAS, Existing e-commerce delivery options have aptly served the residents of the City of Malden throughout the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining the highest of standards for its’ essential workforce; and, WHEREAS, Amazon, which does not conform to area standards for wages, benefits, and working conditions, may in the future choose the City of Malden for expansion of its e-commerce operations. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, The Malden City Council, hereby assembled, urges Amazon to meet and confer with the Malden community, included, but not limited to, representatives of labor unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25, locally impacted neighborhood groups, local residents, and other interested parties to discuss how Amazon can expand delivery operations, warehouses, and fulfillment centers in a way that is beneficial to the City of Malden and its residents while guaranteeing sustainable growth for the City and helping to ensure that fair and equitable employment standards are maintained for all e-commerce delivery networks; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Prior to any expansion into the City of Malden, Amazon commits to and presents sufficient evidence to the Malden City Council that its operations meet or exceed current Community Standards established by existing e-commerce delivery networks. This commitment would include that all delivery drivers will be direct employees of Amazon and not independent contractors. Amazon must commit that all of its delivery drivers will be competent, safe drivers, that Amazon and its delivery drivers will maintain the utmost professional conduct in their day-to-day operations in the neighborhoods of the City of Malden. Sponsors: Jadeane Sica, Neal Anderson, David Camell, Paul Condon, Peg Crowe, Deborah DeMaria, Amanda Linehan, Barbara Murphy, Ryan O’Malley, Craig Spadafora and Stephen Winslow The Showcase Cinema in Revere at the Malden city line closed after 40 years as a movie theater, preceded by 32 years as the Revere Drive-In Theater, to make way for Amazon. (Courtesy Photo) ed, pointing to a preponderance of related issues to that statement, here in the region and nationwide. She said that through her recent research, there is over 12 million square feet of warehouse space related to e-commerce now open or opening soon in Massachusetts. There was $600 billion in online retail sales in 2020, rising 34 percent in just the past six months. “The competition to rent warehouse to support e-commerce has caused the rents to rise 42 percent in the past year,” Councillor Linehan said. She added that it is important for Malden’s city government to keep a close eye on the new Amazon operation, which will be just one street away from Malden’s Linden neighborhood (which Sica represents), for a lot of reasons. “This new operation will impact our community with traffic, greenhouse gases and increased pollution,” Linehan said. “In the future we have to consider where Amazon is going next, with delivery options such as drones and autonomous [driverless] vehicles. That’s all coming our way.” Linehan called into question Amazon’s workforce relations. “Amazon has a questionable track record on public safety, workers’ treatment and substandard pay,” the ward 3 councillor said. Her remarks on workers’ standards were echoed by Ward 2 Councillor Paul Condon, who knows the industry well, as the retired longtime supervisor of the Malden Post Office branch on Mountain Avenue. “When you see all the Amazon Prime trucks round our city, a lot of these workers are independent contractors who are paid by the number of packages they deliver. They drive too fast to get rid of as many packages in the shortest amount of time,” Councillor Condon said. “We have a right to expect these workers to be paid what they should be paid. Mr. Jeff Bezos, you can afford to pay them.” Ward 4 Councillor Ryan O’Malley said he backed the resolution, but along with “sending a message to Amazon” he would like to “see some teeth” in the message and suggested it be discussed at the Ordinance Committee level. Councillor-at-Large Steve Winslow backed the resolve as well. “Malden’s the kind of community where we worry about a buck,” Winslow said. “We protect our workers in Malden and we also have to look out for our small businesses. Small businesses owners have real costs, and there are other tolls when you work in the retail industry. “[Companies like Amazon] come in, set up operations to make a quick buck and leave it for municipalities to solve,” Winslow added. “It should be a joint effort, as requested in this resolve.”
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