A newly formed activist group calling itself “The People’s Union USA” has announced a week-long strike against tech giant Amazon and its streaming platform Twitch, set to begin this Friday. The group is urging consumers to avoid making purchases on Amazon and to refrain from watching or streaming on Twitch during the boycott period.
Despite its name, The People’s Union USA isn’t an actual labor union but rather an activist collective using consumer action to push for corporate change. Their stated goal is to create a noticeable drop in sales and viewership, pressuring both companies to implement fairer labor practices and wage systems.
“We want to send a message that high corporate profits shouldn’t come at the expense of fair labor,” reads one of the group’s social media posts, which have been circulating on Instagram and TikTok. The organization claims this coordinated action will challenge Amazon’s alleged monopolistic practices.
The timing of the announcement has caught people off guard, with many pointing out that successful boycotts typically involve months of planning and organization. Critics have noted that the short notice and limited promotion severely hamper any chance of meaningful impact.
This isn’t the first attempt at such action. The group previously promoted an “Economic Blackout” day which, by most accounts, created barely a ripple in Amazon’s daily operations. That history has fueled widespread skepticism about this latest effort.
The biggest challenge appears to be convincing Twitch streamers to participate. Many content creators rely on consistent streaming schedules for their income, making a week-long hiatus financially risky. “Good luck getting streamers to take a week off from getting paid,” one online commenter noted.
Others have questioned the group’s organizational structure, with some describing it as “one guy with a GoFundMe” whose only organizing happens through social media posts. The transparency around leadership and exactly how funds would be used remains unclear.
Amazon, which acquired Twitch for $970 million in 2014, has faced ongoing criticism regarding working conditions in its warehouses and delivery services. While consumer activism against the tech giant has grown in recent years, making a dent in the company’s operations typically requires massive coordination.
Interestingly, while Amazon’s retail business continues to thrive, Twitch itself reportedly remains unprofitable due to the high costs of live video streaming infrastructure. This further complicates the boycott’s potential impact, as reduced traffic might actually benefit Twitch’s bottom line in the short term.
