Amazons workers
In recent news, info has come out about the condition of Amazon’s workhouses. With how it can be potentially dangerous to any who may wish to work there. These conditions have gotten so dangerous that it led to Bernie Sanders to launch a senate investigation. All to check the safety of Amazon’s workhouses.
This info was brought to light earlier this month when a letter was sent to Amazon. Detailing that there will be an investigation taking place because of concerns for the safety of workers. With reportedly double the industry average for injury rates, with even a spokesperson for Amazon responding that the company had “received Chairman Sanders’ letter this evening and are in the early stages of reviewing it.” The Help committee’s previous target was Starbucks, with Bernie writing a similar letter to the coffee company, accusing the company of refusing to bargain a contract with workers.
Amazon Safety measures
And with how Amazon has decided to act, it seems as though Bernie intends to call Amazon’s founder Bezos to testify in a similar hearing. In the letter, Sanders describes Amazon’s warehouse conditions as “uniquely dangerous.” He pointed to a recent report compiled by a coalition of labor unions using federal data that found Amazon’s serious injury rate was double the warehouse industry average in 2021.
He also cited government investigations that found health and safety violations at Amazon facilities and his own conversations with the warehouse workers. With Amazon being one of the biggest companies, it should subsequently have some of the best safety measures and yet it doesn’t.
Amazon’s response
Kelly, the company spokesperson, said that Amazon has recorded a 23 percent reduction in injuries since 2019, and pointed to a past statement about Amazon’s critics splicing the data “to suit their narrative.”
“We’ve invested more than $1 billion into safety initiatives, projects, and programs in the last four years, and we’ll continue investing and inventing in this area because nothing is more important than our employees’ safety,” Kelly said. In 2018, after a campaign led by Sanders, Amazon made an announcement: It would raise its base hourly pay rate to $15, more than twice the national minimum wage.
Sanders said he was “appreciative” of Amazon’s decision to raise its starting wage in his interview with The Post. However, the Senator was “extremely upset by their vehement anti-union behavior” and workplace safety record. This suggests that the investigation won’t stop anytime soon.
Treatment of disabilities
The unsafe environment didn’t just affect the fully abled people but also the disabled people. With disabilities or not, according to a report. The report, released Wednesday by the worker advocacy group United for Respect, details the giant company lacks clear policies on accommodations and often placed associates on unpaid or reduced indefinite leave while their requests are processed, despite receiving a tax credit for hiring workers with disabilities. The report comes with increased scrutiny of how Amazon treats its workers, particularly those in warehouses.
Working struggle
With workers often struggling to obtain reasonable accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the report said. In many cases, workers have to take time off to obtain documentation to prove they need accommodation. “I felt like I was being targeted because I needed an accommodation,” Warehouse worker Lanita Hammons said.
Additionally, Hammons stated she had been “placed on short-term disability due to eye surgery and that got extended.” All because Amazon denied a doctor’s request for a walker. And even when an employee does obtain an accommodation, it’s often up to a manager’s discretion whether to implement it, the report said. This all has led to a majorly worrying workplace environment for people with disabilities.
This is why Senator Bernie Sanders launched an official probe into e-commerce company’s warehouse policies. In a letter sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in June, Sanders accused the e-commerce giant of “egregious health and safety violations.”
by Randall P Buford
Sources:
PBS News Hour: Sen. Bernie Sanders launches probe into Amazon’s safety practices, asks workers to share stories
News Bloomberg Glaw: Amazon Accused of Creating Dangerous Workplaces for Disabled
Sanders Senate: Bernie Sanders launches senate investigation into Amazon labor practices
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Joe Piette’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Fibonacci Blue‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
