Why I canceled my Amazon Prime membership

I ordered a lot of stuff from Amazon in 2020. I had a new baby, there was a pandemic, and I needed stuff fast! I “needed” stuff fast because I was used to getting stuff fast, and I knew Amazon could make it happen. But I also did a lot of soul-searching in 2020, and I decided to focus my consumer dollars in local stores to help local businesses and cut back on shipping. So I canceled my Amazon membership which ran out in February.

Amazon has become wildly successful and essential during the pandemic. Top executives including Jeff Bezos have made a shit ton of money, unfathomable sums of money, during the coronavirus pandemic when so many people are struggling. During this time, Amazon actively stifled the voices of their employees who want better pay, better working conditions, and unionizing rights. This is unacceptable for a company with the amount of resources it has. I support Amazon employees who want to unionize and make a livable wage while working for one of the biggest companies in the world. Amazon runs on the backs of its warehouse workers and delivery drivers, and they deserve better.

I would love to renew my membership with Amazon when they treat their workers better and allow them to unionize. I miss Amazon Prime Video. In the meantime, I’ll be doing more curbside pickups with local businesses and shopping at other stores online.