"Amazon's extreme profits and exponential growth rate came at the expense of the lives, health, and safety of its frontline workers." So claims a lawsuit filed against the company by the state of New York, which alleges Amazon both failed to put in place COVID safeguards for its New York City workers and retaliated against those who spoke up about the situation. The New York Times reports the suit, filed Tuesday night by New York Attorney General Letitia James, involves a Staten Island warehouse and a Queens delivery depot. More:
- The suit did not catch Amazon by surprise: It claimed in a suit of its own filed Friday that workplace safety is a federal issue and out of James' purview. It also mounted a defense, referencing a surprise city inspection that stated the company "appeared to go above and beyond the current compliance requirements."