Former Amazon worker sues company over COVID-19 conditions

A man who claims Amazon fired him for leading a walkout over working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic sued the tech giant, accusing the company of discrimination and exposing workers to the coronavirus.

In March and April, Amazon fired Christian Smalls and three other employees who were critical of the retail site’s COVID-19 response. Lawmakers and celebrities including HBO show host John Oliver slammed Amazon’s treatment of Smalls and others at the time. 

Amazon has claimed Smalls was fired for coming to work after he had contact with someone who tested positive for the virus and was told to quarantine at home.

Smalls claimed in the law suit that Amazon failed to properly protect “predominantly minority” workers at its Staten Island fulfillment center in a proposed class action suit filed in Brooklyn.

Smalls specifically cited a leaked memo Amazon’s general counsel allegedly wrote to CEO Jeff Bezos.

In the memo, first reported by Vice, Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky assured Bezos that Small, who is Black, was not “smart or articulate” and that “to the extent the press wants to focus on us versus him, we will be in a much stronger PR position than simply explaining for the umpteenth time how we’re trying to protect workers.”

Smalls is seeking unspecified damages for the facility’s Black and Hispanic workers, Reuters reported.

“Today I filed a Class Action lawsuit in the state of NY on behalf of all @Amazon employees and all essential workers that was unprotected all across the world during this pandemic,” Smalls said in a tweet Thursday. “[A]s I said in the beginning it’s not Amazon vs Chris Smalls it’s Amazon vs the People.”

Today I filed a Class Action lawsuit in the state of NY on behalf of all @Amazon employees and all essential workers that was unprotected all across the world during this pandemic. as I said in the beginning it’s not Amazon vs Chris Smalls it’s Amazon vs the People @JeffBezos

— Christian Smalls (@Shut_downAmazon) November 12, 2020

In a statement to The Hill, Amazon reiterated that they terminated Smalls for putting other workers at risk of contracting COVID-19. 

“We terminated Mr. Smalls for putting the health and safety of others at risk and violations of his terms of his employment. Mr. Smalls received multiple warnings for violating social distancing guidelines,” Amazon spokesperson Lisa Levandowski told The Hill in a statement.

“He was also found to have had close contact with a diagnosed associate with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and was asked to remain home with pay for 14-days.”

Updated 5:38 p.m.