Amazon is ‘obstructing’ congressional probe of Illinois warehouse tornado deaths, AOC and other House Dems say

• Final December, a twister tore by way of an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, killing six staff.
• In March, Home members launched an investigation into Amazon’s extreme climate security practices. 
• However, they stated, Amazon didn’t comply and accused the corporate of “obstructing” the investigation. 

Congressional Democrats have slammed Amazon, saying the corporate has made it tough to research whether or not its labor practices resulted in staff’ deaths after a

twister

struck one among its Illinois warehouses final December.

In March, in response to the incident, Home Oversight Committee members Carolyn Maloney and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri reached out to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy for info on Amazon’s extreme climate insurance policies. They gave Jassy and Amazon an April 14 deadline handy over documentation. 

However weeks after the deadline, the group stated they nonetheless hadn’t obtained any documentation from Amazon. In a letter dated June 1, the Maloney, Ocasio-Cortez, and Bush reached out to Jassy once more, noting that “practically seven weeks have handed because the April 2022 deadline, but Amazon nonetheless has not produced any of the important thing classes of paperwork recognized by Committee workers.”

Amazon “has didn’t meaningfully adjust to the Committee’s requests, obstructing the Committee’s investigation,” the group wrote. 

Amazon now has till June 8 to submit the paperwork. “If Amazon fails to take action, the Committee can have no selection however to contemplate different measures to acquire full compliance,” the letter stated.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel instructed Bloomberg on Friday that the corporate was stunned by the letter as a result of it had offered greater than 1,500 pages of paperwork to help within the investigation.

“As we’ve carried out from the beginning, we are going to proceed to work with committee workers on additional doc manufacturing — which incorporates the newest supplies we shared on June 1,” Nantel stated.

Amazon didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark.

A twister ripped by way of an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois, on December 10, killing six staff. Within the days following the lethal occasion, the employees’ households, their coworkers, lawmakers, and traders questioned Amazon’s resolution to not evacuate staff previous to the storm. Two warehouse staff instructed Insider they had been anticipated to report for work though a twister warning was in place.

The household of 1 employee filed a wrongful demise lawsuit towards Amazon.

In response to the lawsuit, firm spokesperson Nantel instructed Insider: “We consider our crew did the precise factor as quickly as a warning was issued, and so they labored to maneuver individuals to security as rapidly as potential.”

“Extreme climate watches are frequent on this a part of the nation and, whereas precautions are taken, should not trigger for many companies to shut down,” she continued.

Investigators from the Division of Labor’s Occupational Security and Well being Administration stated in April the net retailer met “minimal federal security tips” on the warehouse. Nevertheless, they added, “the corporate ought to make enhancements to additional shield staff and contract drivers in future emergencies.”

Final month, a bunch of Amazon traders submitted a proposal at its annual shareholder assembly requesting that the corporate report on office issues of safety at its warehouses. That movement was voted down by shareholders with solely 43.7% of votes in favor, in accordance with Amazon’s Could 25 SEC submitting.