Amazon truck cabs are observed outdoor a broken Amazon Distribution Heart on December 11, 2021 in Edwardsville, Illinois. In line with experiences, the Distribution Heart was once struck by way of a twister Friday night time.
Michael B. Thomas | Getty Photographs
The Area Oversight Committee on Friday introduced an investigation into Amazon‘s hard work practices, difficult the corporate flip over data associated with a dangerous warehouse cave in in Illinois ultimate 12 months.
In a Thursday letter addressed to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Oversight chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Cori Bush, D-Mo., wrote that they’re “involved by way of contemporary experiences that Amazon could also be placing the well being and protection of its employees in danger, together with by way of requiring them to paintings in unhealthy stipulations all over tornadoes, hurricanes, and different excessive climate.”
The lawmakers asked paperwork associated with Amazon’s dealing with of a sad warehouse cave in at one of the vital corporate’s warehouses in Edwardsville, Illinois. Ultimate December, a twister ripped throughout the warehouse, referred to as DLI4, inflicting the 1.1 million-square-foot facility’s roof to cave in, whilst 40-foot-tall, 11-inch thick partitions at the aspects of the construction fell inward.
Six employees had been killed. Lots of the sufferers had been supply drivers, who pulled into the ability simply ahead of the typhoon hit and frantically fled to a rest room in a space of the construction that was once hit by way of the typhoon.
Within the aftermath of the tragedy, employees close to the Edwardsville facility instructed CNBC they felt Amazon had insufficient protection protocols for critical climate occasions.
DLI4 staff additionally alleged that they had been “threatened by way of their supervisors with termination or different adversarial employment penalties” in the event that they left their administrative center to hunt safe haven, the lawmakers wrote. Some of the sufferers, Larry Virden, reportedly texted his female friend, “Amazon would possibly not allow us to go away,” in line with the New York Put up.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel in the past stated the corporate was once having a look into “each facet” of the incident.
Along with the Edwardsville tragedy, the lawmakers stated they had been additionally afflicted by way of Amazon’s reaction to different excessive climate occasions impacting warehouse employees. They pointed to a unhealthy heatwave ultimate 12 months within the Pacific Northwest, all over which staff claimed they toiled in warehouses that reached 90 levels. The lawmakers stated Jassy will have to reply by way of April 14.
“This investigation will tell legislative efforts to curb unfair hard work practices, beef up protections for staff, and cope with the results of local weather exchange on employee protection,” the lawmakers wrote.
Representatives from Amazon did not right away reply to a request for remark.
WATCH: Six Amazon staff lifeless after twister hits Illinois warehouse
