FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2021

Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259

NY AG LETITIA JAMES FILES SUIT AGAINST AMAZON FOR FAILING TO PROTECT WORKERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC STATEMENT FROM RWDSU PRESIDENT STUART APPELBAUM

(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her office has filed a lawsuit against Amazon over its failures to provide adequate health and safety measures for employees at the company’s New York facilities and Amazon’s retaliatory actions against multiple employees amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In failing to maintain a safe work environment by reasonably protecting workers from the spread of COVID-19, Amazon violated New York State Labor Law. In addition, Amazon unlawfully fired and disciplined employees that objected to Amazon’s unsafe work conditions. Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which is conducting a unionization drive for the workers at the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, issued the following statement:

“This lawsuit is about Amazon’s failure to protect its workforce in New York. But the story is the same everywhere Amazon operates – including in Bessemer, Alabama. Amazon needs to do better for all its employees to keep them safe. It’s not that Amazon cannot afford to, but that Amazon doesn’t want to. Amazon has betrayed its responsibility to its employees to provide a safe workplace; and we must never tolerate that. Amazon needs to change.” 

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 The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.