NLRB: "Amazon Illegally Fired Two Employees"

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled that Amazon illegally fired two employees.

According to major foreign media on the 5th (local time), the NLRB stated that Amazon unlawfully dismissed two employees named Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa last year.

Cunningham and Costa were fired after ongoing conflicts with the company last year. They questioned whether Amazon had established appropriate safety regulations regarding the COVID-19 situation and argued that warehouse workers' wages should be increased considering the COVID-19 risks. They also insisted that Amazon should expand its social responsibility concerning climate change. After receiving termination notices from Amazon, they filed a complaint with the NLRB in October, requesting a determination on the legality of their dismissal.

The NLRB found that Amazon violated the rights of Cunningham and Costa and stated that if the company does not rectify the situation, it will file a lawsuit. If the case proceeds to court and Amazon loses, it may be required to reinstate the two employees and pay compensation.

Amazon issued a statement denying the NLRB's preliminary findings, asserting that the reason for firing the two was not due to their public statements about working conditions but because they violated internal company policies. However, Amazon did not specify which internal policies Cunningham and Costa allegedly violated.

This NLRB ruling came amid Amazon's first labor union formation vote. Recently, employees at Amazon’s logistics center in Alabama have been conducting a vote for the establishment of Amazon’s first union, demanding improvements in working conditions.

Last year, warehouse workers in New York also protested against the company, claiming that a safe working environment was not provided in relation to COVID-19. In connection with this, Letitia James, New York State Attorney General, filed a lawsuit against Amazon in a New York state court in February.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.