Rep. Angie Craig Meets with Amazon Representatives to Discuss Shakopee Sorting Facility Closure

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig met with Amazon representatives to discuss their abrupt decision to close their Shakopee sorting facility, impacting 680 Minnesota jobs.

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Rep. Craig requested today’s meeting as a follow up to her Jan. 31 letter to Amazon asking for details on their decision to close the facility.

“Amazon’s decision to close their Shakopee sorting facility came as a shock to me – as well as to the 680 Minnesotans employed there,” said Rep. Craig. “Today, I met with Amazon to get more answers about this closure – and discuss the concrete steps needed to ensure that each of these workers is offered the support they were promised during this transition.”

Additionally, Rep. Craig encouraged Amazon to work with local leaders to create a plan to help strengthen Shakopee’s economy and avoid future closures at Amazon facilities across Minnesota.

During the meeting, Amazon representatives updated Rep. Craig on their plans to work with Shakopee employees during this time of transition and committed to maintaining an open dialogue with Rep. Craig over the coming weeks and months.

A copy of Rep. Craig’s Jan. 31 letter can be found here or copied below.

January 31, 2023

Mr. Jeff Bezos

Executive Chairman

Amazon

410 Terry Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98109

Dear Mr. Bezos:

I write to you today out of great concern for the 680 employees of Amazon’s MSP5 facility in Shakopee, Minnesota. I’ve been appreciative of Amazon’s choice to grow and thrive in Shakopee over the years, but I’m deeply concerned about the economic impact this closure will have on hardworking Minnesota families.

Shakopee is a growing and vibrant community. It is poised for continued growth with a dedicated workforce. I would encourage Amazon to retain as many employees as possible in the Shakopee community, and I encourage the company to strongly support anyone who is not able to be retained. I intend to hold Amazon to your word that “all employees” will be “offered opportunities […] or support.”

would also welcome the opportunity to learn more from Amazon about your process for deciding when and where to close facilities. Amazon has been a major employer with your MSP1 facility and Shakopee and a distribution facility in Lakeville. I encourage you to work with local leaders to create a plan to help the overall economic environment and ensure a closure doesn’t happen. Furthermore, my office would appreciate stronger proactive communication to avoid learning of major employment shifts in my district from the news.

In the interim, I find it necessary to learn from you more about the future of 680 jobs in my district and ask for your response to the following questions as soon as available:

1. How many of the 680 employees were able to be transferred to another Shakopee facility?
2. How many of the 680 employees were transferred to another Amazon facility in the Twin Cities area?
3. What percentage of those employees transferred received equal or greater pay than in their previous role at the sorting facility?
4. How many of the 680 jobs were eliminated?
5. What was the average pay of the jobs eliminated?
6. What was the severance provided to employees whose jobs were eliminated?
7. What was the company’s profit in 2022?
8. Where and who will now do the sorting for Amazon that previously was completed at this Shakopee facility?

Sincerely,

Angie Craig

Member of Congress

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