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Peter Endig | AFP | Getty Images
Amazon Warehouse working conditions, which have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, have become the center of a congressional investigation led by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
in e-mail To Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, ​​Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), said the e-retailer’s “pursuit of profit at all costs” had caused warehouse employees to be exposed to unsafe work environments without access to enough medical care.
“Amazon is well aware of these serious conditions, the life-altering consequences of workers injured on the job, and the steps the company can take to reduce significant injury risks,” Sanders, an independent speaking with the Democratic Party, wrote. “However, the company made a calculated decision not to implement adequate worker protections because Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and you, his successor as CEO, have created a corporate culture that treats workers as disposable.”
Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesperson, told CNBC in a statement that the company has received Sanders’ letter and is in the early stages of reviewing it. Separately, the company said Sanders was invited to tour an Amazon warehouse.
Sanders called on Jassy to turn over more information regarding Amazon’s injury and turnover rates, as well as data from the on-site medical clinic, called AMCARE, dating back to 2019. He also asked Jassy to say if Amazon did, Internally or through a third party’s examination of the “relationship between the frequency of work of its warehouse workers and the prevalence or cost of injuries in its warehouses”.
Sanders said Gacy has until July 5 to respond to the inquiry. help committee Post a template on their website Seek testimonials from current and former Amazon employees about their experiences with the company.
Amazon faces ongoing federal investigations into its safety record beyond Senate action. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the US Attorney’s Office are investigating conditions at several warehouses, while the Justice Department is also examining whether injuries are reported to Amazon.
Amazon says He’s made progress aims to reduce injuries across its operations in the United States, and continues to invest in safety initiatives, projects, and programs. It also appealed to a series of citations issued by OSHA in recent months about safety risks and violations.
Under Sanders’ leadership, the HELP committee has targeted other companies’ workplace registry previously Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testified before the committee in March after Sanders repeatedly criticized the coffee chain’s handling of labor union efforts. Sanders has also been a frequent critic of Amazon’s labor practices, hosting a Senate Budget Committee hearing in May last year and inviting Bezos to discuss the company’s approach to unionization.
He watches: Why OSHA is investigating Amazon for ‘failing to keep workers safe’
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