A group of 70 TikTok creators with a combined following of 51 million people announced “People Over Prime,” a pledge not to work with Amazon or accept sponsorship money from the company until it meets the demands of the Amazon Labor Union.
The campaign was organized by Gen Z for Change, a coalition of young TikTok creators and activists.
Elise Joshi, a 20-year-old TikTok creator and director of strategy at Gen Z for Change, said the group decided to target Amazon after an earlier campaign in support of Starbucks union workers. In February, the group sent over 140,000 fake applications to Starbucks locations that had fired workers who had organized union efforts.
“So, what’s a bigger target than the largest company that employs nearly the largest number of people in the country?” she said of their next target, Amazon.
Joshi hopes to expand the “People Over Prime” campaign to as many creators as possible.
TikTok’s design, according to 19-year-old creator Connor Hesse, lends itself to activism. “It’s much easier to spread the word on TikTok because it’s easier to go viral and have more people see your content than it is on Instagram and Twitter. That’s how the algorithm works “he stated.
According to him, TikTok has become a “safe space for activists trying to talk to their communities.”
According to Gen Z for Change, many of the creators who signed the “People Over Prime” pledge had previously worked with Amazon through its influencer program. The initiative compensates content creators in exchange for linking to Amazon “storefronts” containing recommended products.
According to the group, all 70 members of the campaign will refuse to work with Amazon until it meets labor union demands, such as a $30/hour minimum wage, better working conditions, and an end to any union-busting tactics.
The first Amazon warehouse voted to unionize in Staten Island in April, but there are a number of additional unionization efforts underway at various warehouse locations across the country.
“Amazon is a multibillion-dollar company that has millions of millions of dollars in profit that they use for stock buybacks and dividends,” Joshi said. “They have the capability to give people $30 an hour, and they don’t.”