Hey folks! Are you ready to hear about an Amazonian adventure gone wrong? Buckle up, because we’ve got some news for you.
Last month, the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released some seriously alarming data. Brace yourselves – in 2022, Amazon workers were injured at a rate of 6.9 for every 100 laborers! OSHA investigators were quick to call out the company for “failing to keep workers safe.” Ouch, that’s gotta sting.
Doug Parker, head of OSHA, even pointed out that Amazon’s injury rates are far higher than those of other warehouses. In fact, in 2021, Amazon’s injury rate was almost 1.5 times the industry average. Talk about overachieving!
At some Amazon locations, the injury rate was as high as 12 workers out of 100. That’s like a never-ending cycle of pain and misery for those poor souls.
One former Amazon worker, Bobby Gosvener, is still living the nightmare after he herniated a disk that required neck surgery following a conveyor belt malfunction in December 2020. According to Bobby, he’s now on permanent partial disability, and ordering from Amazon brings back chilling memories of the accident. Not cool, Amazon, not cool.
Another worker, Jennifer Crane, hurt her wrist while packaging sparkling water and dog food repetitively all day. She wears a wrist brace to get through a nine-hour shift. Talk about a tough day at work!
Despite these painful experiences, Jennifer and other Amazon workers are bravely fighting for change. Jennifer is even circulating a petition at her warehouse asking for a slower pace of work, more breaks, ergonomically-friendly facilities, and updated equipment. Go Jennifer, go!
Of course, Amazon has a thing or two to say about all of this. According to their spokesperson, Maureen Lynch Vogel, “Amazon worked diligently to accommodate both employees and ensure they had what they needed not only to work safely but also to recover.” However, Amazon’s self-reported injury rate still fell short by 9% between 2021 and 2022.
But wait, it gets even juicier! The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), a coalition of labor unions, found that Amazon’s injury rate was more than double that of all other non-Amazon warehouses in 2022. According to the report, Amazon employed 36% of U.S. warehouse workers in 2022 but was responsible for over 53% of all serious warehouse injuries. Ouch, Amazon, looks like you’ve got a bit of explaining to do.
Federal authorities are now getting involved, with inspections across seven Amazon warehouses in five states last summer. OSHA cited Amazon for serious hazards that put workers at a high risk of bodily harm. Eric Frumin, SOC’s health and safety director, said, “Amazon’s apparent attitude about this is to deny that they have a problem.” Hmm, something smells fishy here.
For Amazon worker Daniel Olayiwola, the pressure to work quickly is a major concern. “You have to make sure these rates are met,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re going to be getting a write-up. Then you’re not going to be getting any opportunities to switch positions or move up at all.” In fact, Olayiwola even proposed that Amazon should stop tracking workers’ rate of work and “time off task” at last year’s annual shareholders meeting. Unfortunately, the measure failed.
Well folks, that’s all we’ve got. Stay tuned to find out what happens next in this Amazonian rollercoaster ride.
Serious News: cnbc
