Angela B. Tech 06.22.2023 02:Jun AM EDT

Bernie Sanders Criticizes Working Conditions of Amazon Warehouses

Amazon has been the subject of many claims of unfair treatment, which has led to unionizations and strikes. The situation with its working conditions has gotten way out of hand, so much so that a US senator has noticed, pointing out the flaws in the company's system.

Bernie Sanders Launches an Investigation

There have been numerous reports of physical injuries being sustained within Amazon's warehouses. As one of the biggest employers in the US, this could be a cause for concern, especially since it has a higher rate of injuries than normal.

US Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Bernie Sanders stated that the rates of injury are "systematically underreported" and that the working conditions were "uniquely dangerous."

Records show that Amazon has twice the average injury rate back in 2021. In 2022, there were 39,000 warehouse-related injuries. A vast 95% of the recorded incidents were serious enough for the workers to require getting time off work, according to Ars Technica.

There have also been instances where the workers are undertreated and the injuries are downplayed to get the employees back to work as fast as possible. Sanders alleged that it was the company's way of evading responsibilities for long-term consequences that workers suffer.

Senator Sanders also pointed out that Amazon has already received workplace health and safety citations back in 205, so they already knew how to make the workplace conditions better, but choose not to because of "unacceptable corporate greed."

One of the solutions that were proposed was cycling tasks to avoid repetitive strain and using motorized tools to help with the heavy lifting. Amazon responded by saying that some of its locations use robotics, which has improved worker safety.

However, Sanders claims that the data provided says otherwise, given that the injuries sustained in robotic facilities were higher by 28%. Sadly, it's not only workers from the warehouses who have claimed to be mistreated by the company.

Contracted Delivery Drivers Demand Fair Treatment

Several drivers went on strike to catch the attention of the retail giant and tell them that they should provide them with proper vehicles for delivering products, specifically one with an air-conditioner since the long trips subject the drivers to "inhumane heat."

When transporting goods takes the drivers to the desert, they claim that the temperature can reach up to 130F. This can pose a health risk since high temperatures can cause heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.

After Motherboard reported the strike, an Amazon spokesperson requested that they correct the information saying that the 84 drivers were employed by Amazon. The company claims that they were from a Delivery Service Partner (DSP), according to The Verge.

Even as contracted drivers, they wore Amazon uniforms, drove Amazon-labeled trucks, and followed the strict schedules that the retail giant sets. The union formed by the drivers already sued the company back in May with the National Relations Board.

Amazon is still attempting to legally separate itself from the drivers. Although the drivers who went on strike were technically employed by Battle-Tested Strategies, the working environment is still under Amazon's control.