The Washington state labor department announced Monday that it had sanctioned Amazon.com Inc $60,000 over violations of workplace safety laws. Warehouse employees were required to perform repetitive motions at high speeds, increasing their chance of injury.
According to the Washington Department of Labor & Industries, because Amazon had previously received similar citations at other warehouses in the State, violations at Kent, Washington facility were willful. This could result in higher fines.
Amazon must submit to L&I a written plan within 60 days detailing how it will address safety concerns related to warehouse speed. Amazon is appealing the three previous fines.
Kelly Nantel, the spokesperson for Amazon, stated that the company strongly disagrees with the findings of the agency and intends to appeal the new title.
Unions and advocacy groups have long criticized the online retailer for its faster than average delivery times and a high number of warehouse injuries. These concerns were central to organizing union campaigns at individual facilities.
According to the Strategic Organizing Center (a federation of labor unions), this is the first time Amazon has been cited by a state agency for violating workplace safety laws.
In an email, Eric Frumin (SOC’s director for health and safety) stated that Amazon’s business model was under greater scrutiny because of the SOC’s recent move.