Amazon warehouse strike highlights worker reliance on public assistance

Teamsters members initiated a one-day strike at Amazon’s DJT6 warehouse in Riverside, California, on September 2. The union is demanding safer working conditions and protesting what they describe as unfair labor practices and a refusal to bargain. Amazon has denied any operational disruption, stating that the union does not represent the workers at this facility and characterizing the protest as an attempt to intimidate employees.

A Government Accountability Office study of 11 states highlights a trend where employees at large corporations like Walmart and Amazon increasingly rely on public assistance. The report found that the number of workers at these companies receiving Medicaid or SNAP food assistance has nearly tripled since 2020. This occurs alongside significant increases in corporate profits; for instance, Amazon’s annual profit rose from $21.33 billion in 2020 to $77.67 billion in 2025.

The study follows the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which expanded tax cuts while reducing Medicaid and SNAP funding. Since the act's passage, over 5 million people have been removed from food assistance programs, many of whom remain eligible but were cut off due to new reverification requirements.