August 11, 2021
U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn dismissed Amazon’s lawsuit to prevent the New York attorney general from investigating the retail giant’s ability to protect warehouse workers from COVID-19.
A federal judge on Tuesday rejected Amazon’s claim that Attorney General Letitia James acted in bad faith by trying to monitor the company’s response to the pandemic and block its alleged retaliation against workers dissatisfied with the company’s response.
James sued Amazon in February over the treatment of thousands of workers at a fulfillment center on Staten Island and a distribution center in Queens, accusing the retail giant of putting profits before safety and unfairly disciplining two employees protesting labor conditions, one of whom was fired.
James is demanding a court-appointed safety monitor, while Amazon tries to dismiss her case, which is pending in a state court in Manhattan.
Amazon argues that federal health and labor laws pre-empted James’ oversight.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement: “We’re disappointed with today’s procedural ruling, which the court made clear does not mean the Attorney General’s underlying claims have merit.”
For more information, read the original story in Reuters.
