Amazon: Labor board finds Jeff Bezos’ company illegally fired employees who pressed for better work conditions amid the pandemic

Amazon was probed by the U.S. National Labor Relations after two former employees who helped organize the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice submitted a complaint against the company. Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa were fired, and based on the labor board’s investigation, the two were illegally terminated from their respective jobs.

The fired Amazon workers

As per Reuters, Amazon dismissed Cunningham and Costa in April last year. Prior to their termination, the two accused Jeff Bezos’ company of implementing policies in a discriminatory way. Based on their complaint that was filed in October, they said the rules were vague and restrained workers from exercising rights.

The fired Amazon employees were also known to have questioned the company’s environmental practices and safety protocols amid the pandemic. They suggested that workers, especially those working in warehouses, were not given enough support to protect themselves from being infected with the coronavirus.

Cunningham and Costa also raised funds for warehouse staff who are exposed and at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. After advocating for better working conditions at the height of the pandemic crisis, the two were let go of the company.

Now, as mentioned earlier, the National Labor Board confirmed that the women’s dismissal was illegal. It was reported that the board’s regional director in Seattle will issue a complaint if Amazon and the employees do not settle the case.

Amazon’s response to NLB’s finding

The company released a statement saying that it supports workers’ rights and alleged that Cunnigham and Costa were fired for a reason. Then again, Amazon did not elaborate on what may have pushed it to terminate the women involved.

“We support every employee’s right to criticize their employer’s working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against our internal policies, all of which are lawful,” The New York Times quoted Amazon spokeswoman Jaci Anderson as saying. “We terminated these employees not for talking publicly about working conditions, safety or sustainability but, rather, for repeatedly violating internal policies.”

Meanwhile, the labor board’s finding came out at a sensitive time for Amazon that is waiting for the results of the workers’ vote in Alabama on whether to unionize and make their warehouse the company’s first union in the U.S.