Amazon fires two climate organizers who criticized warehouse conditions

Amazon has fired two employees known for publicly criticizing the company’s environmental policies who had expressed support for workers protesting warehouse conditions.

A spokesperson for the online retail giant confirmed to The Hill Tuesday that user experience designers Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa had been fired for “repeatedly violating internal policies.” The company did not immediately respond to questions about what policies were violated.

“We support every employee’s right to criticize their employer’s working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies,” the spokesperson added.

Cunningham, a member of the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, had offered to match donations up to $500 for warehouse workers, who she said are at risk because of a “lack of safe and sanitary working conditions.”

Costa also offered to match donations on Twitter, saying the help was needed while the workers “struggle to get consistent, sufficient protections and procedures from our employer.”

Cunningham and Costa are not the first employees fired by Amazon after speaking out about working conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The company fired Staten Island warehouse worker Chris Smalls after he organized a walkout calling for the facility to be closed after a positive case of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.

Amazon said he was fired for violating social distancing rules by coming to the strike after being told to stay home.