The lawsuit alleges that the company could not close its cleaning facilities when it found out about worker infections, and did not notify workers who were in contact with infected colleagues. It is also alleged that Amazon did not provide enough space for employees to clean up, socialize and take other precautionary measures.
“During the historic pandemic, Amazon has repeatedly and persistently failed to meet its obligation to take reasonable and adequate measures to protect its workers from the spread of the virus” in its New York City facility, which is a center for fulfillment at Staten Island and a distribution center in Queens, according to the complaint. “Amazon’s striking breach of health and safety requirements has caused the thousands of employees in these facilities serious illness and serious damage and poses an ongoing significant and specific threat to public health.”
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The dispute between Amazon and New York has been brewing for some time. Last week, the company filed a precautionary lawsuit by requesting a federal court stop James from using state law to enforce her requests to subsidize public transportation and appoint a health and safety consultant.
Describing James ‘requests as’ excessive claims ‘, Amazon argued that the existing protection for employees’ is ‘far greater than required by law’ and ‘that it goes far beyond measures’ offered by the lawyer. -general ‘considered comprehensive’.
Amazon cited the company’s temperature research policies, advising signs of social renunciation and shocking work shifts at the Staten Island facility as examples of how it went further. According to an inspection by the city’s own sheriff, there are absolutely no issues.
Prior to the legal filing, James found that Amazon did not have the health and safety standards at the company’s warehouses.
And other Amazon critics – including a number of its own employees – said the company was slow to address the risks the coronavirus poses to frontline workers.