For Immediate Release – February 12, 2021
Contact: Patrick Nevada, patrick@alignny.org, 846-866-9065
Top Labor Advocate Denounces Amazon’s Lawsuit against NY Attorney General
Top labor advocate and leading Amazon critic calls for the passage of the NY HERO Act, legislation that will protect frontline essential workers like those who work in Amazon warehouses.
New York – Maritza Silva-Farrell, a leading critic of Amazon in New York and executive director of ALIGN, released the following statement today in light of the latest news that Amazon filed a lawsuit against the NY Attorney General:
“Amazon has profited billions of dollars throughout the pandemic yet continues to fail to protect their workers. Rather than hold responsibility for the tens of thousands of Amazon employees that have caught COVID-19, they blatantly choose to silence frontline workers, advocates, or any critic that reveal unsafe and exploitative working conditions. This kind of behavior from one of the richest corporations in the world exposes the importance of creating state laws to hold corporations accountable. Governor Cuomo and the state legislature have the opportunity to protect frontline essential workers like those who work in Amazon warehouses with the NY HERO Act, which will ensure adequate protections and a stronger voice in the workplace. We can’t let a single dangerous workplace like Amazon trigger community spreads that will lead to more sickness and death for New Yorkers and shutdowns for community businesses.” said Silva-Farrell.
“As COVID-19 continues to surge, New York’s essential workers and businesses can’t wait months for vaccines. Just ask Amazon workers, who work in warehouses that continue to be some of the most dangerous workplaces in the time of COVID-19. The NY HERO Act will immediately provide much stronger health and safety protections on-the-job that can protect workers and businesses against COVID-19. We urge Governor Cuomo to fast-track the NY HERO Act and partner with the state legislature to get it passed this month,” said Silva-Farrell of ALIGN.
The NY HERO Act ensures that workers, communities, and businesses are protected by providing clear and enforceable protocols on COVID-19 testing, face masks, PPE, social distancing, hand hygiene, disinfection, and engineering controls on air circulation and ventilation. It creates enforceable standards, not just guidelines, to ensure that essential workers and businesses can minimize the spread of COVID-19 right away.
Silva-Farrell and ALIGN coordinate the NY Essential Workers Coalition, a coalition of 85 unions, worker centers, and community organizations representing millions of workers across the state who are calling for passage of the NY HERO Act.