Amazon is being accused of failing to meet safety guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic and is being sued in New York by Attorney General Letitia James.
Sources from Reuters indicate that Amazon failed to provide a safe workspace for their employees amid the Covid-19 pandemic. A lawsuit has been filed by Attorney General Letitia James after Amazon workers complained about their miserable working conditions and a lack of hygienic protection at their work at a Staten Island fulfillment center and at the Amazon distribution center in Queens. Mrs. James herself stated the following statement to the media about the issue: “Amazon has forced its employees to work in unsafe conditions throughout this pandemic” and mentioned that the company “cut corners” to be more productive and reach higher profits, while a safer working environment would have damaged or/and held back the online shopping giant’s goals.
So far, Amazon has declined the accusations and filed a suit in Brooklyn against the Attorney General to stop her lawsuit back in Manhattan with the argument that Mrs. James “overstepped her authority”, and a safe working environment should be a matter of federal law, not a matter of New York City governing. The U. S. District Judge Jed Rakoff recently turned down Amazon´s attempt in Brooklyn, thus the main lawsuit in Manhattan will continue.
One of the victims of Amazon´s employee policies was Christian Smalls, who was fired a year ago after attending a protest over working conditions at the Staten Island Amazon warehouse while being on paid quarantine. As the case moves forward, the Millennial Agora will have a close look on the proceedings and its conclusions.