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Amazon’s warehouse working situations, which have come beneath elevated scrutiny lately, at the moment are on the coronary heart of a congressional probe that is being led by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
In a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Sanders, who chairs the Senate’s Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, stated the e-retailer’s “quest for income in any respect prices” has precipitated warehouse workers to expertise unsafe working environments with out entry to sufficient medical consideration.
“Amazon is effectively conscious of those harmful situations, the life-altering penalties for employees injured on the job, and the steps the corporate may take to scale back the numerous dangers of harm,” wrote Sanders, an unbiased who caucuses with the Democratic social gathering. “But the corporate has made a calculated resolution to not implement sufficient employee protections as a result of Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, and also you, his successor as Chief Govt Officer, have created a company tradition that treats employees as disposable.”
Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesperson, informed CNBC in a press release that the corporate has acquired Sanders’ letter and is within the early levels of reviewing it. Individually, the corporate stated Sanders has been invited to tour certainly one of Amazon’s warehouses.
Sanders known as on Jassy to show over extra info associated to Amazon’s harm and turnover charges, in addition to information on its on-site medical clinic, known as AMCARE, relationship again to 2019. He additionally requested Jassy to say whether or not Amazon has, internally or by a 3rd social gathering, examined “the connection between the tempo of labor of its warehouse employees and the prevalence or price of accidents at its warehouses.”
Sanders stated Jassy has till July 5, to answer the inquiry. The HELP committee posted a type on its web site searching for testimonials from present and former Amazon workers about their experiences on the firm.
Amazon faces ongoing federal probes into its security report past the Senate’s actions. The Occupational Security and Well being Administration and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace are investigating situations at a number of warehouses, whereas the Division of Justice can also be inspecting whether or not Amazon underreports accidents.
Amazon says it is made progress on lowering accidents throughout its U.S. operations, and continues to spend money on security initiatives, initiatives and applications. It is also appealed a string of citations issued by OSHA in latest months round security hazards and violations.
Beneath Sanders’ management, the HELP committee has taken intention at different corporations’ office report Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testified in entrance of the committee in March after Sanders repeatedly criticized the espresso chain’s dealing with of employees’ unionization efforts. Sanders has additionally been a frequent critic of Amazon’s labor practices, internet hosting a Senate Funds Committee listening to in Might of final yr and alluring Bezos to debate the corporate’s method to unions.
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