Lawsuit Filed After Amazon Warehouse Worker Fatally Infects Cousin With Coronavirus

Amazon Inc. AMZN is accused of exposing workers to unsafe working conditions after a New York warehouse worker contracted COVID-19 and infected her cousin, who later died.

What Happened

On Wednesday, three employees of the JFK8 fulfillment center filed a complaint in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York. The employees alleged that the company’s warehouse was made a “place of danger” by Amazon, reported Reuters.

Barbara Chandler, who worked at the warehouse, tested positive for COVID-19 in March, and many of her household members were also sickened by the viral disease, including a cousin who passed away on April 7.

Why It Matters

The complaint states that Amazon forces employees to work at “dizzying speeds,” even if it means foregoing social distancing, hand washing, or sanitizing their workspace.

Jana Jumpp, an Amazon worker, revealed in May that at least six Amazon employees have died due to COVID-19, and over 600 have contracted the disease. Reuters reports that the amount has risen to 800.

Unions, employees, as well as elected officials, have been critical of Amazon’s treatment of workers. 

In March, the e-commerce giant fired Chris Smalls, a warehouse employee, after he raised concerns about a New York warehouse and the conditions prevailing there.

According to Reuters, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, said last week that the company had not fired people for criticizing work conditions at the company. 

Amazon is spending $800 million on coronavirus safety in the first half of 2020. The measures it is taking include temperature checks, cleaning, and face masks.

Amazon had 798,000 full-and part-time employees at the end of 2019. The JFK8 warehouse employs 5,000 workers.

Price Action

Amazon shares traded 0.24% higher and closed the regular session at $2,478 on Wednesday.