Bezos faces backlash for comments on Amazon workers

Bezos faces backlash for comments on Amazon workers

A labor union president blasted Jeff Bezos after the Amazon founder and the world's richest man thanked Amazon workers for funding his trip to space aboard his company Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle.

Gloria Tso reports.

Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos has sparked a flurry of criticism this week after thanking his workers for paying for his flight into space.

After touching back down in his company Blue Origin's rocket ship... Bezos and his crewmates exchanged hugs and popped champagne.

He then thanked Amazon employees for making his trip possible.

"I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer, because you guys paid for all of this." But not all were happy with those remarks, coming from the world's richest man.

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted quote: "Yes, Amazon workers did pay for this - with lower wages, union busting, a frenzied and inhumane workplace, and delivery drivers not having health insurance during a pandemic.

And Amazon customers are paying for it with Amazon abusing their market power to hurt small business." Meanwhile, labor union president Stuart Applebaum told Reuters the comments by Bezos were "obscene:" "It's outrageous that Jeff Bezos says his rocket ship, amusement park ride was paid for by his workers.

He could have done a lot more for humanity if instead he paid his workers fairly and spent the money that was necessary to protect their health and safety and their lives... There is so much more Jeff Bezos should be doing for his employees.

And now to say that they're the ones who paid for his joyride is obscene." Bezos, who founded Blue Origin in 2000, has said he hopes to develop a fleet of reusable spacecraft, and build a future where people can live and work in space.

He says Blue Origin is planning on two more New Shepard passenger flights later this year.