The ruling is based on a civil suit brought against Amazon by two former employees after they were not compensated for pre-shift health screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible Prime customers include those who may have signed up for a membership via the company’s “Single Page Checkout" between June 23, 2019 to June 23, 2025.

John Schwarz, the 57-year-old founder of The People’s Union USA from Chicago, is calling on Americans to boycott Amazon and its companies, including Zappos, Ring, Whole Foods, Twitch and Prime Video, for one week.

Some of the most exclusive seats at President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday were reserved for powerful tech CEOs who also happen to be among the world’s richest men.

Six people were killed when an EF3 tornado with 150 mph winds struck an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville on Dec. 10, 2021. The incident raised questions about the safety of warehouses in severe weather, including if warehouses are designed to withstand extreme winds and if warehouse operators are properly prepared for severe weather.

Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.

The strikes by baristas and other workers were scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks’ baristas, said at least 10 locations were closed down as of midday Friday.

The union called it the largest strike against the company in U.S. history, although Amazon said it did not expect the labor action to impact its operations.

Two law firms spearheading the action said about 15,860 Amazon Flex drivers have submitted arbitration claims with the American Arbitration Association, where 453 similar cases are already being litigated.

Black and Brown communities in Illinois are up to 200% more likely to live near a distribution warehouse than the overall statewide population, according to a new report by the Environmental Defense Fund on the state’s “warehouse boom.”

The company’s well-known technology lets customers pay for items without standing in line and sends them receipts afterwards.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, is the result of a years-long investigation into Amazon’s businesses and one of the most significant legal challenges brought against the company in its nearly 30-year history.

The White House said Friday that it has secured voluntary commitments from seven U.S. companies meant to ensure their AI products are safe before they release them.

The agency accused Amazon of using deceptive designs, known as “dark patterns,” to deceive consumers into enrolling in Prime. The complaint said the option to purchase items on Amazon without subscribing to Prime was more difficult in many cases.

Workers at high-profile companies like Amazon and Starbucks have unionized, as have employees at smaller chains and locally-owned firms. Chicago workers have also been part of the wave. Here’s a look at some of the big developments over the past year.

Employees at Amazon’s MDW2 warehouse in Joliet walked off the job Tuesday afternoon, saying the company has not provided a safe work environment or adequate pay.