Amazon Workers File COVID-19 Exposure Lawsuit

UPDATE: On Nov. 2, 2020, a federal judge determined that Amazon workers at a Staten Island, New York, warehouse should not be granted a court order forcing the company to enhance its COVID-19 protections.

A group of Amazon workers and their families have filed a lawsuit against the internet retail giant, saying that the company put profits ahead of people and didn’t take adequate measures to ensure the safety of workers at its New York JFK8 plant during the coronavirus.

The Amazon COVID-19 lawsuit was filed by Derrick Palmer, Kendia Mesidor, Benita Rouse, Alexander Rouse, Barbara Chandler, and Luis Pellot-Chandler.

Palmer, Benita Rouse, and Barbara Chandler explain that they are employees at the JFK8 Amazon facility, and worked there during the coronavirus pandemic. They assert that they were negatively affected by Amazon’s failure to implement proper COVID-19 safety measures.

Mesidor, Alexander Rouse, and Louis Pellot-Chandler are family members and loved ones of the Amazon workers, who say that Amazon’s failures unnecessarily exposed them to the coronavirus, as well.

The Amazon warehouse coronavirus lawsuit explains that JFK8 is an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York. Allegedly, it employees thousands of workers each day and runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

According to the Amazon lawsuit, many workers travel from long distances by public transportation to work at the warehouse in shifts 10 to 11 hours long. 

The workers and their family members go on to say that Amazon failed to comply with New York law, as well as health guidelines set forth both by the federal and state governments to help slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Allegedly, these violations include Amazon’s refusal to implement safety measures at work, such as not giving workers time to wash their hands adequately, requiring them to touch objects previously touched by others, and not allowing workers to appropriately social distance.

Amazon reportedly did not operate at a reduced capacity, as New York law requires, instead hiring more workers during the pandemic to meet increased demands. 

The workers say that these measures have led to workers contracting COVID-19 and passing it on to their families and community members. Additionally, the workers note that one of the JFK8 employees with COVID-19 passed away from the disease.

The Amazon COVID-19 response lawsuit says that Amazon further harms its workers by not responding appropriately if a worker does develop COVID-19.

Allegedly, Amazon does not comply with required New York state protections afforded those people who do contract COVID-19. 

Under New York law, a worker who must self-quarantine due to COVID-19 must be paid for the duration of their quarantine.

This measure is allegedly in place so that no worker feels that they must leave the home to work, and possibly expose others. According to the workers, Amazon actively concealed information about workers who were sick and discouraged those who were sick from taking time off, even though doing so is in accordance with New York law.

The workers state that several employees including Palmer have spoken out against Amazon’s working conditions, but were disciplined for it. 

The workers assert that as of June 2, 2020, there have been 44 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the JFK8 Amazon warehouse and one death. They say that at least four family members or co-habitants of workers have also been infected with COVID-19, at least one of whom died — Barbara Chandler says that her cousin passed away from COVID-19. 

Various news sources including The Verge and Bloomberg have reported on the JFK8 workers’ claims against Amazon. The Verge notes that the workers argue that Amazon “sought to create a facade of compliance” with safety measures without really taking steps to protect workers.

Amazon has reportedly publicized its responses to COVID-19 in the form of worker protections, benefits, and pay bumps, but according to workers, this is not enough, and does not sufficiently protect employees’ health.

How has your workplace coped with the challenge of COVID-19? Are you able to adequately protect yourself at work? Share your experiences in the comments below.

The Amazon workers are represented by Juno Turner, David H. Seligman, and Valerie Collins of Towards Justice; Sienna Fontaine, Elizabeth Jordan, and Frank Rankin Kearl of Made the Road New York; Karla Gilbride and Stephanie K. Glaberson of Public Justice; and by Beth Ellen Terrell, Toby J. Marshall, Amanda M. Steiner, and Blyth H. Chandler of Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC.

The Amazon JFK8 Plant COVID-19 Procedures Lawsuit is Derrick Palmer, et al. v. Amazon.com Inc., et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-02468-BMC, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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