Nine US Senators question Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

WASHINGTON: Nine US Senators including former presidential hopefuls Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris (D-CA) have written a letter to Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, seeking information about the ecommerce giants policies for discipline and termination regarding workers who raise health and safety concerns.

The letter focused on four former Amazon workers who were fired shortly after they publicly raised concerns about warehouse conditions during the pandemic in March and April. These were Chris Smalls and Bashir Mohamed and tech employees Maren Costa and Emily Cunningham.

"In order to understand how the termination of employees that raised concerns about health and safety conditions did not constitute retaliation for whistleblowing, we are requesting information about Amazon's policies regarding grounds for employee discipline and termination," read the letter.

Smalls worked for Amazon for five years at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, where at least one employee has tested positive for COVID-19.

Smalls had been "trying to persuade senior warehouse officials to close the building and sterilize it, but to no avail" due to the coronavirus exposure at his job site.

When management did not respond, Smalls helped organized a walkout, calling on Amazon to close the facility so it could be deep cleaned. (IANS)  

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