The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has initiated a probe into Amazon's occupational safety standards. Chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders sent a notification to CEO Andy Jassy on Tuesday decrying Amazon's high attrition and injury statistics, as well as its medical attention to wounded personnel.
Congressional oversight headed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is now focusing on Amazon's warehouse working conditions, which have come under increased scrutiny in recent times. In a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Sanders, who chairs the Senate's HELP Committee, said the e-retailer has pursued "profits at all costs" to the point of creating hazardous work environment for employees and denying them access to proper medical attention. Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democratic party, added that Amazon, aware of the "life-altering consequences" its policies could cause, has chosen not to implement suitable protective measures given that Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, and Jassy, his successor as CEO, have propagated a "corporate culture that treats workers as disposable." Amazon has issued a public statement in disagreement to Sanders' claims in the letter and has proposed for the Senator to take a tour around one of its warehouses. Sanders has requested Jassy to present added details regarding the incident rate in its warehouses, its AMCare program, and whether or not Amazon has evaluated the link between its warehouse workers' work rate and the prevalence of harm. Jassy is expected to respond by July 5. Gathered information on Amazon's safety record is also being analyzed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice. Amazon has appealed multiple citations issued by OSHA in recent months over safety hazards and violations, citing progress with reducing injuries across its U.S. operations as well as continued investments on safety initiatives. Sanders' oversight puts Amazon in the company of Starbucks, for which former CEO Howard Schultz had to testify in March for the Senator's criticism regarding unionization efforts. Sanders has been a consistent critic of Amazon's labor practices, having held a Senate Budget Committee hearing last May and inviting Bezos to discuss the company's stance on unions.
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