In Scathing Senate Document, Bernie Sanders Accuses Amazon of Ignoring Safety Concerns Regarding Employees
This week, a panel led by prominent populist figure Bernie Sanders released a report alleging that tech juggernaut Amazon has created a workplace environment detrimental to its employees' health. Not only that, but the report claims that Amazon has acknowledged its internal policies are causing harm to its workers but has chosen to disregard these issues in pursuit of corporate gains. Amazon has vehemently denied these accusations.
The report, produced by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, reveals that Amazon conducted multiple internal studies to evaluate potential health and safety risks for its workers. These studies, labeled "Project Elderwand" and "Project Soteria," uncovered that Amazon's productivity targets and emphasis on speed were leading workers to injure themselves. The reports suggested relaxing these targets to protect workers, but the New York Times reports that the company's upper echelons "rejected the recommendations."
According to the committee, Amazon is not only aware of the connection between speed and injuries but has deliberately disregarded potential safety enhancements, viewing worker injuries as an unfortunate consequence of doing business. The report also points out that while Amazon refuses to implement its own safety suggestions, it presents a deceitful portrayal of its injury rates, claiming that its warehouses are safer than they truly are.
The injuries appear to stem from workers being required to repeat tedious physical movements throughout their shifts, the report states. "Amazon compels workers to move unsafely and to repeat the same movements countless times during each shift, resulting in alarmingly high rates of musculoskeletal disorders," the report claims, noting that while the company is aware that these repetitive movements cause such disorders, it refuses to take measures to safeguard workers.
"Amazon's refusal to protect workers is particularly troubling given its immense financial resources," the report notes, reminding readers that Amazon is the "sixth largest company globally and the second-largest private employer in the U.S." Jeff Bezos, the company's founder, is also the third wealthiest man in the world.
Upon being contacted by Gizmodo, an Amazon spokesperson disputed the report's assertions, stating that the report was based on outdated information that Amazon has since debunked. "Senator Sanders' report is factually incorrect and weaves together outdated documents and unsubstantiated anecdotes to create a predetermined narrative," a statement from Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly reads. "The facts are, our expectations for our employees are safe and reasonable."
"Despite this, and the fact that Sen. Sanders approached this process with a preconceived narrative, we have cooperated with Sen. Sanders and his staff throughout this investigation, providing thousands of pages of documents and other information," the statement continues. "We have also repeatedly invited Sen. Sanders to visit one of our facilities so he can observe our working conditions firsthand. Regrettably, these invitations have gone unanswered."
The report predicts that without drastic changes, Amazon's disregard for worker safety could lead to significant health issues in the future. Advancing technology in the workplace should prioritize worker well-being, not exacerbate existing problems.
