Amazon has fired at least 2 more employees after they criticized the working conditions at the company’s warehouses. The company sacked two user-experience engineers in its Seattle headquarters for “repeatedly violating internal policies”. This was after they criticized the e-commerce giant for its treatment of its warehouse employees amid the coronavirus crisis.
Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, who worked as user experience designers, were fired last Friday, according to The Media Reports.
5 Recent Developments on this Controversy
1] Amazon has faced fierce criticism over working conditions at its warehouses during the Coronavirus pandemic. Warehouse workers have complained that they haven’t been given enough protective equipment to keep them safe and that the company hasn’t been proactive enough at notifying workers when their colleagues test positive for the virus.
2] Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa were reportedly fired last week after they criticized Amazon’s climate policies and “a lack of safe and sanitary working conditions.” A 3rd employee, named Chris Hayes, was asked not to return to work after he circulated an invitation to join a virtual discussion with warehouse workers. Hayes had handed in his notice at the company over its treatment of the workers and was due to leave on April 17th, but was told he would no longer be allowed to work after sending out the invitation on Friday.
3] Both, Emily and Maren have pledged on Twitter to match donations to a campaign by Amazon warehouse staff in New York City, who say they are all “in danger from Amazon’s mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis.”
4] Cunningham further told the media that the company had wanted to fire her for some time. She said,
“Because of how effective we’ve been in getting Amazon to take leadership in the climate crisis, they’ve wanted me gone for a while.”
5] Amazon came under fire from New York’s attorney general, Mayor Bill de Blasio and a handful of lawmakers, including Senator Bernie Sanders, after sacking Christian Smalls last month.
