Amazon workers at an air-freight hub walked out in protest over pay and sweltering temperatures on the job

• Workers at an Amazon air freight hub in California staged a walkout on Monday.
• The workers say they want a $5-per-hour raise and better temperature control in the sweltering heat.

Workers at an Amazon air freight hub in San Bernardino, California walked off the job Monday demanding better pay and working conditions.

The protesting workers form a group called Inland Empire Amazon Workers United, which said on Twitter 160 workers walked off the job Monday.

An Amazon spokesperson disputed this figure in a statement to Insider, saying only 74 out of a total 1,500 workers took part in the walkout.

"While there are many established ways of ensuring we hear the opinions of our employees inside our business, we also respect their right to make their opinions known externally," the spokesperson said.

The group delivered a letter signed by 800 employees in July to management at the facility asking for better pay given the increasing cost of living.

"We're not making enough to save anything," Sara Fee, a lead organizer with the group, told The Washington Post.

"If something goes wrong with my car, I don't have savings. I can't afford to eat healthy food. I have to buy chicken nuggets or noodles," she added.

The group's demands specifically include a $5 per hour pay rise and better safety conditions.

The Post reported managers offered a pay rise of $1.50 per hour for weekday night shifts and $2 for weekend night shifts during meetings on August 3 and August 5. The outlet also said managers suggested workers take public transport and carpool to cut costs.

An Amazon spokesperson told Insider workers at KSBD make a minimum wage of $17 per hour. MIT's living wage calculator for San Bernardino estimates the living wage for a single adult without children in that area to be $18.66 per hour.

The protesting workers also want Amazon to bulk up its health and safety, especially with regards to heat. On Twitter, the group said temperatures can rise above 95 degrees in the facility.

An Amazon spokesperson told The Post the facility has indoor air conditioning.

The San Bernardino workers aren't the first to challenge Amazon with a work stoppage, although their positioning as an air freight hub makes them particularly crucial to Amazon's vast logistics network, industry consultant Marc Wulfraat told The Post.

Amazon workers in the UK staged protests earlier this month at four warehouses after being offered pay rises of £0.35 ($0.42).

Worker organization at Amazon has partly been spurred on after the company saw the creation of its first-ever US union at a Staten Island warehouse in April.

Fee told The Post the formation of the Staten Island union had been "absolutely inspiring."

"Unionizing is not off the table for us," she added.

Inland Empire Amazon Workers United did not immediately respond when contacted by Insider for comment outside of normal West Coast working hours.