Amazon shareholder meeting: Push to put an hourly worker on board

The effort by activists to elevate labour concerns within Amazon comes amid allegations of monopolistic practices and environmental racism.

On the heels of a failed Amazon.com Inc union drive in the United States last month, labour activists are hoping that a company shareholder meeting on Wednesday will culminate in a worker joining the e-commerce giant’s board of directors. A shareholder resolution backed by some investors, including Oxfam America, demands that the Seattle-based corporation put an hourly labourer on the governance board that makes key financial and management decisions. The proposal would broaden the influence of employees — and the communities where Amazon runs fulfillment centres — in a larger corporate push to enhance the power of other stakeholders beyond ownership and executives.