New York AG sues Amazon, alleges failure to adhere to COVID-19 protocols

(The Center Square) – Saying one of the world’s largest companies failed to protect its workers from COVID-19, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed suit against Amazon in a state court on Tuesday.

In a statement Wednesday morning, James said her office has investigated the global online retailer for nearly a year after receiving complaints that the company did not take steps to prevent the virus from spreading. That review then incorporated allegations Amazon dismissed or punished workers who raised concerns.

That investigation focused on two facilities that employ more than 5,000 people in New York City, including facilities in Staten Island and Queens. According to James, Amazon learned that at least 250 workers at its Staten Island warehouse who tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 90 of those people had been in the facility within seven days of the notice.

Despite that, the company only closed parts of the Staten Island in seven instances, the attorney general said. In addition, she said Amazon’s contact tracing program did not properly notify those who encountered COVOD-positive workers. In those instances when the program worked, James said the company still failed to take the reports seriously.

James said the COVID-19 crisis has led to the company and CEO Jeff Bezos making billions of dollars at the expense of those working for Amazon.

“The workers who have powered this country and kept it going during the pandemic are the very workers who continue to be treated the worst,” she said. “As we seek to hold Amazon accountable for its actions, my office remains dedicated to protecting New York workers from exploitation and unfair treatment in all forms.”

The attorney general also accused Amazon of firing one worker, Christian Smalls, and issuing a “final written warning” to another, Derrick Palmer, after they went public with concerns they had about their working conditions and the company’s COVID protocols.

The state wants the courts to force Amazon to change its policies to ensure its workers are better protected against the virus. It also calls on the company to rehire Smalls with back pay and damages.

James also wants the company to relinquish the profits derived from what she called its illegal acts.

The lawsuit comes just days after the company filed one itself against James in a federal court. In a statement, Amazon Spokesperson Kelly Nantel referenced that case.

“We care deeply about the health and safety of our employees, as demonstrated in our filing last week, and we don’t believe the Attorney General’s filing presents an accurate picture of Amazon’s industry-leading response to the pandemic,” Nantel said.

That lawsuit seeks to keep James from being able to hold any regulatory authority over the company.

In the suit, Amazon indicates it has worked with scientists and medical experts from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop measures to protect workers. Those consultations have led to more than 150 worker safety measures.

In addition, the company said it has spent about $10 billion on initiatives to protect workers and continue delivering products to its customers. That investment includes spending more than $800 million in early 2020 to buy 100 million masks for its distribution center, purchase 34 million gloves, add nearly 2,300 hand-washing stations and acquire 48 million ounces of hand sanitizer.

James is not the only one to have raised questions about Amazon’s practices. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union issued a statement saying the company has practiced similarly elsewhere, too.

The labor group is currently trying to unionize Amazon workers at an Alabama facility.

“Amazon needs to do better for all its employees to keep them safe,” RWDSU President Stuart Applebaum said. “It’s not that Amazon cannot afford to, but that Amazon doesn’t want to. Amazon has betrayed its responsibility to its employees to provide a safe workplace; and we must never tolerate that. Amazon needs to change.”

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square