Amazon faced questions Friday from Capitol Hill over how the online retail giant is protecting workers at its warehouses during the ongoing deadly global coronavirus pandemic.
Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat, led a dozen other lawmakers in a letter seeking answers from Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos.
In addition to inquiring in detail about steps Amazon has taken to protect its employees during the pandemic, they asked him to ramp up those efforts to ensure they remain safe.
Sent nearly three months since the coronavirus was discovered, their letter came as COVID-19, the infectious disease it causes, continues to spread widely around the world, causing some localities in the U.S. and abroad to enact stay-at-home policies that have resulted in Amazon customers to rely heavily on the internet retailer for essential goods.
Amazon warehouses have accordingly remained operational, and the company has recently confirmed multiple cases of its workers testing positive for COVID-19.
“In a recent message to your employees, you recognize the critical work they are doing. You encouraged your employees to take care of themselves, yet you failed to recognize the vital role that Amazon plays in guaranteeing their safety,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter asks a number of questions of Mr. Bezos about Amazon’s handling of the pandemic, ranging from requesting details about any response plans in place for warehouses where employees may contract COVID-19, to seeking answers about how often the company is cleaning and disinfecting its facilities and promoting social distancing.
“As the world responds to the unfolding COVID-19 crisis, Amazon has become a crucial player in the global supply chain; consumers everywhere are relying on your company to deliver the goods they need during this difficult time,” they wrote. “But as reliance on your businesses grows, so do the demands on your employees, as do the risks they face personally.
“We ask that you intensify your efforts to protect the health and safety of your warehouse workers,” they wrote. “No employee, especially those who work for one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, should be forced to work in unsafe conditions.”
A message requesting comment from Amazon was not immediately answered Friday.
Mr. Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge President Trump in November, has been frequently critical of Amazon and Mr. Bezos, slamming them often while on both Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. He co-sponsored a bill in 2018 — the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing out Subsidies Act, or “Stop BEZOS Act” — that would tax large corporations that do not pay workers a living wage.
More recently, his presidential campaign touted a petition this week calling on the company to take measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, including offering its workers a “hazard pay” and immediately shuttering any workplaces where employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
Ms. Omar has endorsed Mr. Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination.
The letter is co-signed by a dozen other Democratic lawmakers, among them House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler and progressive Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib.
More than 500,000 people around the world have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, and over 20,000 have died from the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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