Newburgh, NY – My name is Keith, and I’ve lived in Newburgh for most of my life. I’m a father of five and currently a community organizer with For the Many. Before this, I worked at Amazon as a driver and in the warehouse. No matter my job, one thing has been constant—the struggle to get to work.
In Newburgh, public transit is almost nonexistent. The buses don’t reach many places, including where I used to work at Amazon. If you don’t have a car, your options are paying $20 one way for an Uber or taxi, which adds up to $160 a week or more, or walking miles in dangerous conditions. Because there aren’t options for people to get to work, it’s not uncommon to see people walking out to the Amazon warehouse in the dark. At best, it’s undignified, and at its worst, it’s dangerous.
In early 2014, a friend of mine was tragically hit and killed by a drunk driver on his way to work. He was walking to work because he had no other way to get there. No one should be killed just trying to get to work, but these are the kinds of risks that working people take when there aren’t better options.
When I worked at Amazon, we tried to solve the problem ourselves by carpooling. But relying on one person’s car is risky. If their car breaks down—and with Newburgh’s potholes, that happens often—it leaves everyone stranded. Amazon’s attendance policies are so strict that being late by a few minutes can cost you your job. But instead of offering solutions, they tell workers to figure it out themselves. Even in snowstorms, when other workplaces are more flexible, Amazon expects you to show up—and their parking lots aren’t even plowed. It’s frustrating and unfair.
Public transit could change everything. It gives people access to jobs, reduces financial stress, and ensures we’re treated with dignity. If employers like Amazon partnered with transit agencies to run shuttles or invested in bus routes to their facilities, it would make life easier for thousands of workers. People shouldn’t have to choose between paying for a ride and paying for rent, and they shouldn’t have to risk their lives walking to work at 3 a.m.
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This story is from our most recent report, Working Families Ride the Bus, which focuses on workers from across the country who rely on public transit to stay connected with their livelihoods, their families, and greater opportunities.