?Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., informed Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on June 20 that the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which Sanders chairs, has begun an investigation into the labor conditions of Amazon’s warehouses. We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other media outlets.
Letter to Amazon CEO
In a letter to Jassy, Sanders asked for information about the company’s “systematically underreported” injury rates, employee turnover, productivity targets and adherence to federal and safety recommendations. Sanders cited a recent report compiled by labor unions using federal data that found Amazon’s serious-injury rate was double the warehouse industry average in 2021.
Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesman, said the company was in the early stages of reviewing Sanders’ letter. He said that Amazon has recorded a 23 percent reduction in injuries since 2019 and that Amazon’s critics splice the data “to suit their narrative.”
(The Washington Post)
Inadequate Medical Attention Alleged
“The company’s quest for profits at all costs has led to unsafe physical environments, intense pressure to work at unsustainable rates, and inadequate medical attention for tens of thousands of Amazon workers every year,” Sanders wrote.
Kelly said the company reviewed the letter and strongly disagreed with Sanders’ assertions.
(CNN)
OSHA Citations
The letter alleges that the company’s clinics “are designed to undertreat and underreport injuries and to get workers back on warehouse floors as soon as possible.” Sanders’ letter also said that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued the company “at least 50 citations for violating workplace health and safety laws.”
The company has appealed all the citations. “We’ve invested more than $1 billion into safety initiatives, projects and programs in the last four years, and we’ll continue investing and inventing in this area because nothing is more important than our employees’ safety,” Kelly said.
(NBC News) and (Sanders’ letter)
Website for Amazon Employees Launched
In addition to the letter and investigation, Sanders and the HELP Committee launched a site Tuesday for Amazon workers to report on labor conditions to the committee. The form asks employees to describe their experience working with HR regarding their injury, including return to work, any experience requesting a workplace accommodation, and any experience with workers’ compensation, short- or long-term disability, insurance coverage, “or anything else relating to your injury.”
(The Hill)
Company’s Opposition to Unions
The investigation follows Amazon’s opposition to its employees’ unionization efforts. The company spent more than $14.2 million on anti-union consultants last year. Sanders said he was “extremely upset by [Amazon’s] vehement anti-union behavior.”
(The Guardian) and (HuffPost)
Amazon Lost Union Election Last Year
After a grassroots union’s victory over Amazon during a vote in Staten Island, N.Y., last year, the company had to decide how it would respond to the conditions that allegedly led to the unionization vote. Safety, higher wages, more paid breaks and more vacation all were at issue.
(SHRM Online)