California’s labor commission slapped Amazon with a $5.9 million penalty Tuesday after the agency discovered thousands of labor offenses at two of the firm’s facilities in the state.
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office announced it found more than 59,000 violations of the state’s Warehouse Quotas Law at Amazon’s Moreno Valley and Redlands facilities. According to the regulator, the retail giant repeatedly failed to disclose its quotas to the commission and created unsustainable goals for its workers.
Under the 2022 Warehouse Quotas Law, employers must disclose any productivity quotas to regulators and are barred from forcing employees to meet unsafe standards that could harm them or cause them to miss mandated breaks or meals.
Amazon’s workplace policies have come under increased scrutiny over the past two years, especially since a growing labor movement has popped up in its warehouses.
Earlier this week, the Amazon Labor Union voted to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, providing the union with significant resources for organizing and negotiations. Since the ALU formed in 2022, workers have focused on the speed and quality of work, saying the quota levels increase the risk of workplace injuries.
Federal regulators have also zeroed in on Amazon’s workplace practices, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration citing the company numerous times.
Amazon has denied all allegations from regulators or employees that its working conditions are illegal or unsafe. Amazon says it doesn’t use performance quotas but instead relies on a system called performance expectations. The system works like a sophisticated surveillance system, which gives the company access to data on how fast employees complete tasks.
Earlier this year, Amazon said it planned to invest more than $750 million in safety initiatives at its warehouses.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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