Coronavirus –
Some workers walked off the job at a massive Staten Island warehouse on Monday.
New York Communities for Change
“Taking action cost me my job,” Smalls said in a Monday interview
Amazon disputes that charge.
“Mr. Smalls received multiple warnings for violating social distancing guidelines and putting the safety of others at risk. He was also found to have had close contact with a diagnosed associate with a confirmed case of COVID – and was asked to remain home with pay for – days, “Amazon said in a statement to Ars. Instead, the company says that Smalls “came onsite on March , further putting the teams at risk. ”
Workers walked out of Amazon’s facility on Staten Island on Monday to protest what they saw as an inadequate response to a coronavirus outbreak at the site. Organizers say workers participated in the walkout, while Amazon estimates only 15 workers participated. Amazon says the facility employs more than 5, 06 0 people.
(Amazon
acknowledged one coronavirus case there last week and ordered employees who had been in contact with that employee to self-quarantine. But the protesting workers believe there have been several additional coronavirus cases that Amazon hasn’t publicly acknowledged. They want Amazon to shut down the facility for a deep cleaning and to take other steps to better protect worker health.
Amazon says it’s working hard to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among employees. The company notes that it recently began performing daily temperature screenings of employees at the Staten Island facility to identify potential coronavirus cases. And Amazon says it has enacted aggressive social distancing measures, including limits on face-to-face meetings and staggered shifts and breaks to limit the number of people entering or exiting work areas at any one time.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings