ALU Member, Hayat, Denied Safe Work While Pregnant at Amazon

From the Amazon Labor Union – IBT Local 1 Recording Secretary:

My name is Sultana Hossain, and I’m the Recording Secretary of ALU-IBT Local 1. I’m writing to ask for your support for my sister and fellow union leader, Hayat. Hayat is a mother of four, a Libyan immigrant, and a powerful voice in our movement for justice at Amazon.

Hayat began working at JFK8 in 2023 as a picker. In July 2024, while eight weeks pregnant and working grueling Prime Day shifts, she experienced severe cramping and bleeding on the warehouse floor. She and her husband Wajdy, who also works at Amazon, rushed to the emergency room. Hayat had a miscarriage and required surgery.

Despite this trauma, Hayat returned to JFK8 that fall and stepped up to become a union steward. She’s helped lead our Women’s Committee and Afro-Arab Committee, and she was on the front lines of the historic first national Amazon strike in December 2024. She’s shown up for her coworkers time and again. Now it’s time we show up for her.

Hayat is currently eight months pregnant. When she found out she was expecting again, she asked Amazon for an accommodation to protect her health and her baby. The request was approved: she was supposed to transfer into a light-duty Pack Singles department with a chair and extra breaks. But when she arrived to train into her new department, her manager forced her back into heavy lifting and long hours standing, in direct violation of her medical accommodation.

That same night, Hayat made the painful decision to go on leave. She couldn’t trust Amazon to protect her pregnancy, not after everything she’d been through. She went on short-term disability for three months, but her benefits were cut off in May. Meanwhile, her husband Wajdy is out on workers comp due to a severe musculoskeletal injury caused by Amazon that left him unable to use his right hand.

They are now behind on rent and facing possible eviction. Their apartment is unsafe (infested with mold, with no heat in the winter) but they cannot afford to move. Their new baby is due in just a few weeks, and they urgently need help to cover rent, baby supplies, and essential expenses.

Please give what you can and share this link. Let’s stand with Hayat and Wajdy the way they’ve stood for all of us.

From Hayat:

My name is Hayat. I came to this country from Libya to build a better life for my children. I’ve worked hard every day, and I’ve stood with my coworkers to make Amazon a better place because I believe in fairness, in dignity, and in protecting each other.

Last year, I lost a pregnancy while working at Amazon. I was bleeding and in pain, but I kept working until I couldn’t anymore. My husband had to rush me to the hospital, and I ended up needing surgery. I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone.

So when I got pregnant again, I did everything right. I got an accommodation approved. I was supposed to be in a light-duty role with less risk. But my manager didn’t care. They made me lift heavy boxes again. I couldn’t go through another miscarriage, so I took a leave.

I’ve been out of work for months. My short-term disability ended. My husband was injured on the job and can’t use his right hand. Now we’re behind on rent. We are scared we might lose our home. And our baby is coming soon.

We need help to get through this time and get back on our feet. We need help to stay housed, to prepare for our baby, to keep food on the table for our kids. I’ve always tried to show up for others and now I’m asking if you can show up for us.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting our family.