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The Home Committee on Oversight and Reform has opened an investigation into Amazon’s labor practices throughout extreme climate occasions, in keeping with a letter members despatched to Andy Jassy, Amazon’s chief government.
“We’re involved by current studies that Amazon could also be placing the well being and security of its employees in danger, together with by requiring them to work in harmful circumstances throughout tornadoes, hurricanes and different excessive climate,” mentioned the letter, signed by the committee chairwoman, Consultant Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, in addition to Representatives Cori Bush of Missouri and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. All are Democrats.
The investigation will give attention to the December twister that hit Amazon’s supply station in Edwardsville, Ailing., killing six folks. Most individuals on the facility weren’t Amazon’s direct workers. They had been subcontracted supply drivers, a complication that impeded the response when the authorities couldn’t readily decide how many individuals had been on web site. The ability didn’t have a twister protected room, which was not required by constructing code.
A minimum of one subcontracted driver was instructed to maintain delivering through the storm, in keeping with textual content messages Bloomberg Information printed. Amazon mentioned the subcontractor’s dispatcher had not adopted its security protocols.
“Our focus continues to be on supporting our workers and companions, the households who misplaced family members, the encircling neighborhood and all these affected by the tornadoes,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokeswoman, mentioned in an announcement on Friday. “We’ll reply to this letter sooner or later.”
Amazon’s labor practices have come beneath growing scrutiny because it has grown to grow to be the nation’s second-largest non-public employer, after Walmart. The corporate employs 1.1 million employees immediately in america, plus many extra by means of contractors.
The letter requested Amazon for paperwork and communications associated to the way it managed its work pressure throughout a number of pure disasters, together with fires in California, a warmth wave within the Pacific Northwest and Hurricane Irma in Florida.
“This investigation will inform legislative efforts to curb unfair labor practices, strengthen protections for employees and handle the consequences of local weather change on employee security,” it mentioned.
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