Democratic California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sued Amazon on Monday, requesting a court order mandating Amazon’s compliance in the state’s probe of the company’s COVID-19 handling.
Becerra alleged in the lawsuit that Amazon had responded insufficiently with only a “slow drip of information” since his first request six months ago to the company for details on its “COVID-19 related data”, “policies,” “practices” and “procedures for its California facilities and workers.” (RELATED: FTC Orders Big Tech Companies To Provide Operations Data)
“Amazon has made billions during this pandemic relying on the labor of essential workers. Their workers get the job done while putting themselves at risk,” Becerra told reporters, according to Los Angeles Times. “It’s critical to know if these workers are receiving the protections on the job that they are entitled to under the law.”
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After informal communication with Amazon over several months, soliciting “information about workplace health and safety,” the state’s Department of Justice issued subpoenas August 19 that sought information about Amazon’s COVID-19 safety measures, sick-leave policy, cleaning procedures and data about COVID-19 infections and deaths in Amazon’s California facilities, a press release from Becerra’s office stated. However, Amazon has not satisfactorily responded to the requests, despite compliance opportunities, the document claimed.
Amazon dragged its feet on Covid-19 worker safety probe, says California AG, asking for court order https://t.co/jpMb8mdDua
— CNBC Tech (@CNBCtech) December 14, 2020
“We’re puzzled by the Attorney General’s sudden rush to court because we’ve been working cooperatively for months and their claims of noncompliance with their demands don’t line up with the facts,” an Amazon spokesperson stated, according to Bloomberg.
The lawsuit, whose full text is accessible here, comes as Amazon sales have seen a “rapid spike,” following an e-commerce purchase surge from shoppers wary of heading to brick and mortar stores, Washington Post reported.