Another strike? Amazon warehouse workers demand $5 pay raise

Amazon has been facing one crisis after another recently . Last Friday, dozens of Amazon employees went on strike at an aviation hub in Southern California, demanding a $5 hourly pay raise and better working conditions. The strike is currently the latest employee unrest facing Amazon.

Workers held red signs that read "Watch out for Amazon Air" and chanted "Raise the minimum wage" in front of the San Bernardino, California, plant, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. The one-day strike at the plant, which employs more than 1,500 people, follows a summer of protests that also raised questions about wages and working conditions.

Daniel Rivera, a 28-year-old employee who is participating in the strike , said he received a $1 an hour raise in September that pushed his hourly wage to $18.50.

"Even though there's a one dollar increase, it's still not a living wage for us," he said.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant has faced unionization efforts across the country recently. Earlier this week, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Moreno Valley, California, about 20 miles from the San Bernardino air hub, filed paperwork to join Amazon's union.

In April, Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island, New York, also voted to join the union, but Amazon is trying to overturn that result. Last Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board planned to vote on whether workers at this Amazon warehouse can form a local affiliate of the Amazon union.

Earlier this week, Amazon workers at warehouses near Atlanta and Chicago held similar protests demanding a higher minimum wage.

Amazon said its U.S. factory wages range from $16 to $26 per hour , depending on the position and location . The company said in a statement that its employee benefits also include health insurance and 401(k) retirement plans.

Amazon spokeswoman Mary Kate Paradis said: "We are always listening to our employees and working hard to improve the situation, so we have launched a new compensation plan that not only includes a higher base salary, but also provides comprehensive benefits for regular employees."

Faced with nationwide protests and the second Prime Day's sales that fell short of expectations, Amazon may need to seriously consider its future strategic planning.

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