For Immediate Release: July 15, 2024
Media Contact: Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431
Amazon Prime Day is No Deal for Workers: NY Labor Coalition Calls on Governor Hochul to Take Action for Warehouse Worker Safety
Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act awaits the Governor’s signature to become law
ALBANY, NY – On the eve of Amazon Prime Day, Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director and leader of the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition released the following statement:
“Amazon Prime Day is sold to us as two days of can’t-miss deals, but it’s no deal for workers. Amazon makes huge profits, while workers must fill an influx of orders in dangerous conditions, at an increasingly fast pace, during the hottest month of the year.
In New York, 1 in 11 warehouse workers is injured each year, with Amazon workers injured 37% more often than workers at non-Amazon facilities. And we know injuries spike on Prime Day. New York can’t let this stand. In June, the State Legislature passed the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act, with bi-partisan support, to make the warehousing industry safe and sustainable. Now, we urge Governor Hochul to take immediate action and sign the bill into law before one more worker gets hurt on her watch.”
Background:
- The New York State Legislature passed the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act (S5081C/A8907A) by a vote of 52-5 in the Senate and unanimously in the Assembly. Sponsored by Labor Chairs State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry Bronson, the bill currently awaits Governor Hochul’s signature to become law.
- 1 in 11 NY warehouse workers are injured annually and NY’s warehouse worker injury rate is 54% higher than the national average. Amazon workers are injured at an even higher rate — 37% more often than workers at non-Amazon facilities.
- The Act requires annual safety evaluations of large warehouses for potential risks, establishes industry-wide safety standards, improves training and medical care, and empowers DOL to implement and enforce.
About New Yorkers for a Fair Economy
New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE) is a coalition of labor unions, small businesses, and immigrant and community organizations uniting to safeguard our state from the abusive practices of big corporations and achieve an economy that works for all New Yorkers. NYFE is led by ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) and includes labor unions Teamsters Joint Council 16 and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; community groups like New York Communities for Change and New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health; and research and advocacy organizations like National Employment Law Project and Strategic Organizing Center, among others.
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