JAYAPAL TO AMAZON: TAKE CARE OF YOUR WORKERS
[SEATTLE, WA] – Today, U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to raise concerns about numerous news reports of issues faced by Amazon workers making low and moderate wages. In her letter, Jayapal pressed Amazon—which is headquartered in Washington’s Seventh Congressional District—to do more to protect the health and wellbeing of all its workers. Jayapal is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a member of the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee and the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
“Amazon’s work to distribute essential products at this time of a pandemic with shelter-at-home orders across the country is essential. The global pandemic has also created the opportunity for an incredibly rapid expansion of Amazon’s business model and with it, Amazon’s workforce. Amazon is being well rewarded for those efforts, reaping enormous profit and changing sales and delivery models in a way that is sure to provide long-lasting market share to the company. According to recent reports, Amazon’s share price has surged by more than a third in a month, with customers spending almost $11,000 a second on its products and services,” wrote Jayapal. “It should, therefore, be even more imperative that Amazon immediately step to take care of the health and wellbeing of the employees who are risking their lives to do the work, by providing generous leave policies, additional pay and most importantly, safety in the workplace. As an Amazon warehouse worker said to me recently, ‘We’re not robots, after all.’”
In her letter, Jayapal outlined four specific areas of concern:
Emergency Paid Leave: “Although Amazon has provided two weeks of emergency paid leave to employees, many workers report that this leave is difficult or impossible to access. Whole Foods workers, too, report that they are not being given adequate access to paid leave,” wrote Jayapal.
Frontline Worker Safety: “Amazon’s frontline workers must be able to rely on the company to engage in rigorous and worker-protective procedures that are independently inspected and audited. I am aware that Amazon has announced new measures to address safety for warehouse workers. But warehouse and delivery workers continue to report health and safety concerns, including inadequate plans for social distancing in warehouses, inadequate cleaning supplies and insufficient social distancing at shift changes, especially as Amazon hires thousands of new warehouse employees,” wrote Jayapal.
Hazard Pay For Essential Workers: “I ask that you consider paying hazard pay to essential workers who are still reporting to work and therefore at heightened risk of exposure to COVID-19, including warehouse, delivery, and grocery and retail workers, and take improved steps to ensure the provision of hazard pay to the many subcontracted and temporary workers the company relies on,” wrote Jayapal.
Right to Organize: “Importantly, workers must be able to organize and raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Workers are the first line of defense against the spread of COVID-19. They are well equipped to identify risks and propose and suggest sound risk mitigation strategies. Organized groups of workers are especially effective in identifying large-scale safety concerns,” wrote Jayapal.
Jayapal’s letter follows a stunning report yesterday in The Wall Street Journal that details, based on accounts from former Amazon employees, how the company uses confidential market data from independent sellers on Amazon.com to develop competing products. The report directly contradicts what Nate Sutton, Amazon’s associate general counsel, told Jayapal at a House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee hearing in July 2019.
“I am extremely troubled that detailed reporting from the Wall Street Journal indicates that one of the largest employers in my district may have lied to me under oath,” said Jayapal. “Amazon workers, members of Congress, businesses selling products on its platform, and American consumers deserve truth and transparency from Amazon about the its practices and procedures—and real action to resolve the numerous discrepancies between what the company says it is doing and what I hear directly from its workers or read in news reports. I have spoken with Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman Cicilline and will be working closely with him and Judiciary Committee Chairman Nadler to explore next steps and follow up directly with Amazon.”
The full text of today’s letter and a signed PDF is available here.
April 24, 2020
Dear Mr. Bezos:
I write to express my concern over reports of issues faced by workers making low and moderate wages employed at Amazon.com, Amazon.com subsidiaries, and subcontracted by Amazon.com (“Amazon”).
We are in the middle of a global pandemic, and every company must make serious and concerted efforts to flatten the curve and preserve the well-being of workers and communities. I appreciate the critical function that Amazon is playing in our economy right now, providing distribution functions that are absolutely essential in this time. I also understand that you are expanding your workforce substantially, providing employment to more workers. Amazon has adopted some measures to address worker rights and safety, recognizing the hazards workers face by raising Amazon frontline worker wages by $2 an hour for full-time workers and increasing overtime pay to double the regular wage. In addition, the company has taken some efforts to protect frontline workers such as staggering work shifts. I also appreciate efforts the company has made to support local businesses in Seattle to remain open and keep workers on payroll. These are crucial steps.
However, I am deeply concerned that many of Amazon’s growing workforce of at least 800,000 workers (including warehouse workers, delivery employees who are directly employed and subcontracted, and grocery and retail workers) are required to show up to work to keep Amazon’s shipments of both essential and non-essential products going. Since these workers are unable to shelter in place, they face an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 on the job. Increasing numbers of Amazon workers have become sickand are diagnosed with COVID-19. According to recent reports, at least one warehouse worker and one Whole Foods worker have already died.
To halt the rapid spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve, workers must be able to stay home when they are sick or to care for their loved ones. It is a perverse irony that it is the lowest-wage workers who are most unable to conduct their work remotely, and yet also unable to stay home to protect themselves, their families or general public health without paid leave.
When Congress passed legislation mandating an expansion of paid sick and family leave, we had originally proposed that it would apply to employers of all sizes. However, in last minute negotiations, larger employers including Amazon and most other Fortune 500 companies were excluded from this mandate. The lack of Federal mandates has resulted in variability in how to address these issues. Some large employers have aggressively stepped forward to lead, acting quickly to protect everyone involved in their business operations and recognizing that their size and record of profits requires this of them in a time of crisis where so many are devastated. Other companies have been less willing to do so, but the effect of that is one that leaves often the lowest-wage employees with no options to protect themselves or those around them in the midst of a public health crisis. The leadership and choices of our largest corporations are even more crucial in this moment, when key federal agencies that should protect workers have essentially abdicated their roles at the behest of President Trump’s appointees.
I have had numerous private conversations with top management within the company and have appreciated the information that has been shared with me. However, my concerns remain in four specific areas.
First, although Amazon has provided two weeks of emergency paid leave to employees, many workers report that this leave is difficult or impossible to access. Whole Foods workers, too, report that they are not being given adequate access to paid leave. I also understand that there are many workers reporting to work who are in the most vulnerable category, such as older workers, those with chronic health conditions or those who live with people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. For the many women and primary caregivers who are reporting to work, they are also juggling children or seniors who require care at home and are having to make untenable decisions about whether to stay home and look after those who depend on them or lose their paycheck. Workers have told me directly that they are making decisions to stay home without pay because they have symptoms that concern them, but they no longer have paid time off remaining. Others are making decisions to go to work in those situations which puts everyone’s public health at risk. I ask that Amazon immediately provide a COVID-19-responsive, broadened paid leave policy that is available to all workers to effectively reduce COVID-19 outbreaks and risks of transmission and death. This must include allowing workers to easily access paid leave where they are in highly vulnerable populations; where they cohabitate with persons who are highly vulnerable; when they feel sick; when those they care for need them; and when they have been in proximity to people with COVID-19.
Second, Amazon’s frontline workers must be able to rely on the company to engage in rigorous and worker-protective procedures that are independently inspected and audited. I am aware that Amazon has announced new measures to address safety for warehouse workers. But warehouse and delivery workers continue to report health and safety concerns, including inadequate plans for social distancing in warehouses, inadequate cleaning supplies and insufficient social distancing at shift changes, especially as Amazon hires thousands of new warehouse employees. Amazon warehouse workers also report a chronic lack of transparency about COVID-19 on the job. Workers I spoke to reported receiving incomplete information on incidences of COVID-19 infection in their warehouse, no information as to whether Amazon has done contact tracing with those workers known to be infected, no information on whether Amazon screens new hires for COVID-19, and no information on whether Amazon has officially altered performance quotas and other warehouse protocols that would help workers stay safer. This information is essential to workers’ protection. As a warehouse worker recently said to me, “Just tell us – we want to be safe.” Workers also report no or inadequate training for warehouse workers and delivery drivers on COVID-19 prevention. Subcontracted workers who provide “last mile” services also report inconsistent safety protocols and inadequate access to safety equipment. In addition, Whole Foods workers have raised health and safety concerns. I would ask that Amazon immediately clarify for all workers and the public protocols around safety, cleaning and sanitization of workstations and equipment, and contact tracing and procedures if someone tests positive or develops COVID symptoms. Workers want and deserve transparency so that they can know what risks they face and what actions management has taken to ensure their safety.
Third, I ask that you consider paying hazard pay to essential workers who are still reporting to work and therefore at heightened risk of exposure to COVID-19, including warehouse, delivery, and grocery and retail workers, and take improved steps to ensure the provision of hazard pay to the many subcontracted and temporary workers the company relies on. These requests apply to all Amazon workers, regardless of whether they are full or part-time, and regardless of whether they are direct employees, subcontracted workers, or workers in a subsidiary corporation. Hazard pay is no substitute for improving worker safety, but where workers face heightened risk at work in the context of this pandemic, those workers must be compensated accordingly. In recognition of the risks these workers face, I ask you to consider doubling their hourly rate of pay. I would also like to ask that Amazon clarify its policies around whether it is operating to fulfill all orders, regardless of whether or not they are essential or what procedures the company has taken to ensure that there are not more workers reporting to work than necessary to fulfill only the most essential orders.
Fourth and importantly, workers must be able to organize and raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Workers are the first line of defense against the spread of COVID-19. They are well equipped to identify risks and propose and suggest sound risk mitigation strategies. Organized groups of workers are especially effective in identifying large-scale safety concerns. For this reason, I am extremely concerned by reports that Amazon has fired workers who led efforts to advocate for improved safety and working conditions for their co-workers – workers like Bashir Mohamed, Maren Costa, Emily Cunningham, and Chris Smalls. Not only does federal law protect workers’ right to organizeand express health and safety concerns, but it is in the best interest of the public to ensure that workers are able to speak up freely without threat of retaliation. These continued firings of employees who are raising appropriate and necessary concerns about their health and working conditions is extremely disturbing. I urge you to consider and implement requests made by Amazon workers who are organizing to protect their health and safety. The measures they request seem eminently reasonable, possible and necessary.
Amazon’s work to distribute essential products at this time of a pandemic with shelter-at-home orders across the country is essential. The global pandemic has also created the opportunity for an incredibly rapid expansion of Amazon’s business model and with it, Amazon’s workforce. Amazon is being well rewarded for those efforts, reaping enormous profit and changing sales and delivery models in a way that is sure to provide long-lasting market share to the company. According to recent reports, Amazon’s share price has surged by more than a third in a month, with customers spending almost $11,000 a second on its products and services.
It should, therefore, be even more imperative that Amazon immediately step to take care of the health and wellbeing of the employees who are risking their lives to do the work, by providing generous leave policies, additional pay and most importantly, safety in the workplace. As an Amazon warehouse worker said to me recently, “We’re not robots, after all.”
This is an opportunity for Amazon to lead other Fortune 500 companies in modeling forward-thinking employment and workplace practices. Thank you for the work you are doing to service our country and the world during this pandemic. I do appreciate it, and I urge you to continue that work in a way that protects the very workers that allow for that work to continue.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your response.
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Issues: Civil Rights, Jobs, Labor, & the Economy