New York State Sues Amazon Over Worker Treatment During Covid-19 Pandemic -- Update

By Sebastian Herrera

New York's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com Inc. that accuses the online retailer of not doing enough to protect workers in the state from the coronavirus.

Last week, Amazon sued New York's attorney general to prevent the state from taking legal action against the company over its handling of worker safety during the pandemic and the firing of one of its warehouse workers last year.

"Throughout the historic pandemic, Amazon has repeatedly and persistently failed to comply with its obligation to institute reasonable and adequate measures to protect its workers from the spread of the virus in its New York City facilities," New York state Attorney General Letitia James wrote in a complaint filed in the state Supreme Court.

Amazon, a company spokeswoman said, doesn't "believe the Attorney General's filing presents an accurate picture of Amazon's industry-leading response to the pandemic."

Ms. James began an investigation into Amazon's labor practices last year following the firing of the worker, Christian Smalls. He was among a group of employees who staged a walkout at the company's Staten Island facility in March to help draw attention to requests for better pay and added protections against the risks they faced working during the pandemic. The protest was one of several by workers around the country who said Amazon didn't implement enough safety measures to guard against Covid-19.

Amazon has said it dismissed Mr. Smalls because he violated social-distancing guidelines, including ignoring orders to stay home for two weeks after coming in contact with a co-worker who had a confirmed case of Covid-19. Mr. Smalls is one of several Amazon workers who in the past year have claimed wrongful termination by the company for speaking out.

The Amazon spokeswoman said the company cares "deeply about the health and safety of our employees, as demonstrated in our filing last week." In its complaint, Amazon listed several measures it took for worker safety during the pandemic--including regularly testing employees for the coronavirus, and implementing temperature checks and providing protective equipment. The company has said it spent roughly $11.5 billion last year on Covid-19-related costs.

Write to Sebastian Herrera at Sebastian.Herrera@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 16, 2021 23:58 ET (04:58 GMT)

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