Senators press Amazon on workplace safety amid coronavirus spread

A group of Democratic senators sent a letter to Amazon on Friday pressing the online retailer about workplace safety at its distribution facilities amid the spread of coronavirus.

The letter to CEO Jeff Bezos closely follows the first reported case of the novel coronavirus among Amazon employees, which was at a New York warehouse that has since closed.

“Any failure of Amazon to keep its workers safe does not just put their employees at risk, it puts the entire country at risk,” Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) wrote in the letter.

“Americans who are taking every precaution … might risk getting infected with COVID-19 because of Amazon’s decision to prioritize efficiency and profits over the safety and well-being of its workforce,” the wrote.

The lawmakers pointed to reports in BuzzFeed News detailing shortages of disinfecting supplies, continued crowded meetings and strict write-up policies that would disincentivize proper sanitary habits.

“It is our understanding that if a warehouse employee coughs or sneezes, they can either take the time to wash their hands and risk being written up for falling short of their shipping expectations, or meet their shipping expectations and put themselves and their colleagues at risk,” the senators wrote.

The letter asks Bezos for information about the steps Amazon is taking to protect its workforce and whether it will tests its workers for free, provide paid sick leave and relax restrictions to give workers more time for hygiene.

A spokesperson for Amazon told The Hill that the claims in the lawmakers’s letter are “unfounded.”

“Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it is not easy as supplies are limited, but we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable,” they said in a statement.

“We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances.”

The online retail giant has promised to increase the frequency of cleaning at all of its sites around the world and has staggered its warehouse shifts to comply with social distancing recommendations. 

The spread of coronavirus has strained Amazon’s operations, with massive demand for medical supplies and household staples leading the company to suspend shipments of nonessential items to warehouses in the United States and United Kingdom.

Amazon announced Monday that is planning to hire about 100,000 new employees.

The company also plans to raise wages from $15 to $17 per hour for workers at American locations. 

Updated: 8:18 p.m.