• The Seattle Times reports that Washington State's Department of Labor and Industries has cited Amazon for requiring drivers at one of its facilities "to load vans at a dangerously fast pace," and "in a 'manner and timeframe' that leads to a high or very high risk of lower back injury."
According to the story, "The allegations follow similar pace-of-work accusations that the department levied against Amazon elsewhere in Washington regarding workers inside the warehouses. The department has accused Amazon of setting an unsafe pace of work and exposing workers to increased risk of injury from repetitive motions - such as lifting, bending and reaching - at least six times over the last two and a half years.
"In some cases, the department found Amazon did not give employees enough time to rest or to use proper techniques to make the work safer. That puts employees at an increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, which include injuries like sprains, strains and tears … Amazon and L&I have spent the past five months at trial before a judge from the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals contesting the merits of four citations regarding Amazon warehouses in DuPont and Kent, and a delivery station in Sumner that has since closed.
"Amazon has appealed all four citations, arguing its employees work at a comfortable pace, the rate of injury at its warehouses is improving, and that it has invested in new technology, equipment and work procedures to continue bringing injury rates down."
• From CNBC:
"Three Amazon staffers sued their employer on Monday alleging gender discrimination and accusing the company of retaliation after they complained of 'chronic pay inequity issues.'
"Caroline Wilmuth, Katherine Schomer and Erin Combs, who work in various roles within Amazon’s corporate research and strategy division, alleged the company assigns female staffers lower job titles for the same roles that are held by men with higher titles and larger salaries. The company then 'regularly fails' to promote women, 'resulting in the performance of similar work as men in higher job codes for less compensation'."
According to the story, "Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser disputed the lawsuit, saying in a statement, 'We believe these claims are false and will demonstrate that through the legal process'."
