A New York labor union has published a damning report on Amazon, just as the company prepares to move into New York City under its new second-headquarters plan.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union published the report Wednesday, homing in on what it called "deadly and dehumanizing employment practices" in warehouses and Amazon's anti-union activities.
The union also criticized the destruction of brick-and-mortar retailers as well as Amazon's record of facilitating the sale of racist products.
The 13-page union report was drawn mainly from information already in the public domain, including previous press coverage and other assessments of Amazon working conditions.
The union pointed to what it sees as a pattern of preventable deaths at Amazon warehouses, citing a National Council for Occupational Safety and Health investigation that found seven people had died working in Amazon's fulfillment centers.
It also mentioned a New York Times piece from 2011 reporting that Amazon paid to have ambulances stationed outside a Pennsylvania warehouse during a heat wave.
The union also drew on reports from the UK, in which an undercover journalist named James Bloodworth said he found a bottle of urine at a warehouse, with workers fearing punishment for taking a bathroom break.
The union also criticized Amazon's anti-union efforts, referring to a training video obtained by Gizmodo that gave managers tips for spotting "warning signs" workers might be starting to unionize.
Amazon revealed earlier this month that it would split its new second headquarters, known as HQ2, between New York City and Northern Virginia. The announcement has already drawn some backlash from New Yorkers, some of whom stormed an Amazon store in protest on Monday.
Amazon provided Business Insider with the following statement:
"This so-called report is a rehash of inaccurate and exaggerated news stories spanning several years that ignore the facts. Amazon makes substantial positive contributions to the economy, the communities where we operate, and to the lives and careers of our employees. We have created over 250,000 full time, full benefit jobs across the U.S. that now have a minimum $15 an hour pay. We have invested more than $160 billion in the U.S. economy since 2011 which has created over 360,000 indirect jobs in construction, hospitality, logistics and other professional services. Small and medium sized businesses selling on Amazon’s stores have created more than 900,000 jobs. Amazon respects the rights of employees to choose to join or not join a labor union. We firmly believe the direct connection we have with employees is the most effective way to understand and respond to the needs of our employees."
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