Amazon Terminates Employee Behind Staten Island Virus Safety Strike
Amazon fires a Staten Island warehouse worker who organized a strike over coronavirus safety concerns. The termination draws condemnation from the New York Attorney General and allegations of illegal retaliation.
Amazon fires Chris Smalls, a fulfillment center employee who leads a strike at a Staten Island warehouse to protest unsafe coronavirus conditions. More than 60 workers participate in the walkout, demanding that Amazon close the facility for extended cleaning after several colleagues test positive for Covid-19. Smalls states that the company retaliates against him for standing up for what is right.
Amazon defends the termination by claiming that Smalls violates safety regulations, including ignoring a paid 14-day quarantine order after exposure to an infected employee. The company states that Smalls receives multiple warnings for breaking social distancing guidelines and unnecessarily puts other team members at risk. Smalls dismisses this explanation as ridiculous and maintains the firing is purely punitive.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James publicly condemns the termination as immoral and inhumane. She urges the National Labor Relations Board to investigate the incident and reveals that her office is considering all legal options. Federal law currently protects the right of employees to engage in collective action, including strikes, to protest hazardous working conditions.