The Area Committee on Oversight and Reform has opened an investigation into Amazon’s exertions practices throughout critical climate occasions, consistent with a letter participants despatched to Andy Jassy, Amazon’s leader government.
“We’re involved by means of contemporary stories that Amazon could also be hanging the well being and protection of its employees in danger, together with by means of requiring them to paintings in unhealthy prerequisites throughout tornadoes, hurricanes and different excessive climate,” stated the letter, signed by means of the committee chairwoman, Carolyn B. Maloney, in addition to Representatives Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The investigation will center of attention at the December twister that hit Amazon’s supply station in Edwardsville, In poor health., killing six other folks. Most of the people on the facility weren’t Amazon’s direct workers. They have been subcontracted supply drivers, a complication that impeded the reaction when the government may just no longer readily resolve what number of people have been on website online. The ability didn’t have a twister protected room, which was once no longer required by means of construction code.
No less than one subcontracted motive force was once advised to stay handing over throughout the hurricane, consistent with textual content messages Bloomberg Information printed. Amazon stated the subcontractor’s dispatcher didn’t practice its protection protocols.
Amazon didn’t reply to a right away request for remark.
Amazon’s exertions practices have come underneath expanding scrutiny because it has grown to turn into the rustic’s second-largest personal employer, after Walmart. The corporate employs 1.1 million employees at once in the US, plus many extra via contractors.
The letter requested Amazon for paperwork and communications associated with the way it controlled its paintings drive throughout a number of herbal failures, together with fires in California, a warmth wave within the Pacific Northwest and Typhoon Irma in Florida.
“This investigation will tell legislative efforts to curb unfair exertions practices, reinforce protections for employees and cope with the results of local weather trade on employee protection,” it stated.
