Senate to probe Amazon over "dangerous and illegal" work conditions
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Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) speaking in the Capitol in May 2023. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A powerful Senate committee is launching an investigation "into the dangerous and illegal conditions at Amazon’s warehouses," according to the panel's chairman.
Driving the news: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a letter Tuesday to Amazon that the Senate committee will probe the company's "egregious health and safety violations."
- Sanders, who leads the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, accused Amazon — the second largest employer in the U.S. — of putting profits above worker safety.
Zoom in: Sanders' letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy requests a slew of information, including the company's process for reporting and treating worker injuries, and its compliance with federal and state workplace safety measures.
- Sanders, citing an analysis from a labor union group, said "Amazon’s rate of serious injuries at its warehouses, at 6.6 injuries per 100 workers, was more than double the rate at non-Amazon warehouses."
- Sanders also asked for input from current and former Amazon warehouse workers.
What they're saying: "If Amazon can afford to spend $6 billion on stock buybacks last year, it can afford to make sure its warehouses are safe," Sanders said in the letter.
- A spokesperson for Amazon said company officials reviewed the letter and "strongly disagree with Senator Sanders’ assertions."
- When asked which assertions Amazon disagrees with, the spokesperson said: "We take the safety and health of our employees very seriously. There will always be ways to improve, but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made which includes a 23% reduction in recordable injuries across our U.S. operations since 2019."
The big picture: The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state regulators have repeatedly proposed fines against the company over workplace safety violations at its warehouses in recent years.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is also investigating the company for potential workplace safety issues.
- The new congressional investigation comes after workers at a New York warehouse unionized in 2022, though unionization efforts at other warehouses failed.
What's next: Sanders gave Amazon a July 5 deadline to send the requested records.
- It's unclear whether Republicans on the committee will actively participate in the investigation. A GOP spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
Go deeper: Hundreds of Amazon workers stage climate protest walkout
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a new statement from Amazon.
