The NLRB sued Amazon over its labor practices at a Staten Island facility.


The National Labor Relations Board sued Amazon in federal court on Thursday, asking a judge to force the company to quickly fix what it calls “manifestly unfair labor practices” before workers at one of its Staten Island warehouses go to work. voting in a union election next week.

The lawsuit, filed in New York’s Eastern District, involves Gerald Bryson, a former Amazon employee that Amazon fired earlier in the pandemic after he was involved in a protest over security concerns at the warehouse known as JFK8. The company said Mr Bryson had violated its policy against rude and abusive remarks when confronting another worker at the protest, but the employment agency’s staff decided that his dismissal was unlawful retaliation for Mr Bryson’s workplace organization.

The case dragged on for almost two years during the agency’s administrative court process, with lengthy debates over issues such as what evidence was admissible. While an administrative law judge has yet to rule on the case, the employment agency argued that given the union election and Mr Bryson’s involvement in the organization, a federal judge should force Amazon to make changes immediately. Voting will begin next Friday.

In its board complaint, the board argued that if prompt injunction is not provided, Amazon employees “will conclude that the board cannot effectively protect their rights” under federal labor law.

The agency said the judge should require Amazon to give Mr Bryson his job back, send notices at the facility and read the court order at mandatory employee meetings.

Amazon did not immediately comment on the new lawsuit, but has repeatedly said that Mr Bryson’s dismissal was not retaliation and supports workers’ rights to speak up about workplace conditions.

In applications before the administrative law judge, the employment agency argued that Amazon had implemented its policies against Mr Bryson differently in retaliation for his protests.

Amazon said that the attacker in the fight at the protest was Mr. Bryson. In late 2020, a spokesperson said: “We believe the facts of this case are clear: Mr. Bryson witnessed the bullying and intimidation of a female employee by other employees in a racially and sexually explicit manner – a clear violation of our standards of conduct and harassment policy.”

Amazon said in its filings that it conducted a thorough investigation in good faith before firing Mr Bryson.

deadlines clarified A recording recorded most of the quarrel between Mr. Bryson, who is black, and the female employee, who is white. Both used vulgar language in the recording, but the detailed account the agency provided showed that the woman initiated many comments and tried to persuade Mr. Bryson to fight her, but did not do so.

Mr Bryson was fired, but the woman received a “first warning”.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *