Home
Others
Others News
Amazon Illegally Fired Employees Critical of Work Conditions, US Labour Board Finds

Amazon Illegally Fired Employees Critical of Work Conditions, US Labour Board Finds

Amazon last year terminated the employment of Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, who accused it of enforcing policies in a discriminatory fashion.

By Reuters | Updated: 6 April 2021 10:54 IST

Amazon Illegally Fired Employees Critical of Work Conditions, US Labour Board Finds

In a statement, Amazon said it supports workers' rights to criticise work conditions

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

Cunningham and Costa questioned Amazon's pandemic safety protocols
Amazon on Monday did not specify what the polices were
Cunningham and Costa did not immediately comment

Amazon illegally fired two employees who advocated for better working conditions during the pandemic, the US National Labor Relations Board has found.

The online retailer last year terminated the employment of Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, who accused the company of enforcing policies in a discriminatory fashion and having vague rules that "chill and restrain" staff from exercising rights, according to their charge filed in October, seen by Reuters.

The board said on Monday that its regional director in Seattle will issue a complaint if the parties do not settle the case.

Amazon Acknowledges Issue of Drivers Urinating in Bottles

The decision comes at a delicate moment for Amazon as it awaits the outcome of its Bessemer, Alabama, workers' vote on whether to make their warehouse the company's first unionized facility in the country.

Cunningham and Costa, who gained prominence for pushing the company to do more on climate change, about a year ago questioned Amazon's pandemic safety protocols and worked to raise money for warehouse staff at risk of contracting COVID-19.

In a statement, Amazon said it supports workers' rights to criticise work conditions, but that doing so does not absolve staff of breaking lawful rules. "We terminated these employees not for talking publicly about working conditions, safety, or sustainability, but rather, for repeatedly violating internal policies," it said.

Amazon Faces Biggest Union Push in Its History

Amazon on Monday did not specify what those polices were.

Cunningham and Costa did not immediately comment. Marc Perrone, international president of the UFCW union whose local unit helped file the charge, said in a statement: "Today is a reminder that Amazon will break the law to silence its own workers who speak out."

The New York Times earlier reported the news.

What is the best phone under Rs. 15,000 in India right now? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Later (starting at 27:54), we speak to OK Computer creators Neil Pagedar and Pooja Shetty. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.