BARUCH COLLEGE–As the smell of homemade ravioli filled the DePuy house, Edward DePuy had a look in his eyes that his son James had “never seen before.” James, his mother and his brother sat in their living room as Edward told the story of his friend Marvin’s day at his new Amazon warehouse job. He described a position without benefits or bathroom breaks, where the attitude was “work, work, work.” His brother and mother zoned out of the conversation and played on their phones, but James, who was 16 at the time, decided to never buy anything from Amazon again.
It’s been four years and he’s kept that promise.
By not purchasing from Amazon, James DePuy hopes to minimize the harm the company does to its workers. “They should be getting health benefits, dental, medical, all across the board,” he said.
James DePuy is just one of many people who boycott companies that do not align with their ethics. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee has urged everyone to stop buying from companies supporting Israel. The boycott specifically targets McDonald’s and Starbucks.
