Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN stock) has filed a lawsuit against the workplace safety regulator for the state of Washington, bringing the conflict between the agency and the Seattle technology giant into the courtroom.
Amazon (AMZN stock) Fundamental Problem
Amazon has asked a judge to halt an order issued by the Department of Labor and Industries requiring the company to improve workplace conditions and safety practices at its warehouses. The complaint was filed on Monday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. L&I issued a punishment of $60,000 to Amazon in March, citing a “willful severe infringement” of safety guidelines at the company’s flagship BFI4 warehouse in Kent. L&I also demanded Amazon (AMZN stock) present a documented plan to abate future violations of safety regulations.
Amazon had a fundamental problem with the results and filed an appeal against the citation.
In an emailed statement, Amazon said, “The safety of our employees is our top priority. We disagree with these accusations and look forward to demonstrating the truth as the legal process continues.” “In this specific petition, we contest a unique state mandate that states we need to adjust our operations before a thorough and fair hearing on the merits. This is not the way that we feel should be taken. Therefore we are fighting it,”
The timing of the regulations is the subject of the lawsuit that Amazon has lodged against the government. Employers are required by state law to address offenses that are deliberate, significant, or repetitive. According to the complaint, employers must carry out this action following the law even after filing an appeal and before the conclusion, which is expected to be communicated in 2023.
According to Amazon (AMZN stock), state legislation known as the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act violates the company’s right to due process as outlined in the 14th amendment. The company argued that it would have asked for a “stay of abatement,” which would allow it to delay resolving any issues until after the outcome of the appeal. Still, the procedures of the WISHA would have forced it to admit “under risk of criminal penalties — that ‘hazards’ exist.” The company argued that it would have asked for a “stay of abatement” if the WISHA had not forced it to admit “under risk of criminal penalties — that ‘hazards
In light of this, Amazon stated in the complaint that “before the Department demonstrates any breach, employers are compelled to agree under oath and at risk of criminal consequence that a violation happened.”
Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is seeking a preliminary injunction to suspend implementation of the WISHA abatement mandates until a decision on its case, followed by a permanent injunction to restrict enforcement of those mandates.
According to the citation that L&I issued in March, the methods that Amazon implemented at its BFI4 warehouse produced a “severe hazard for work-related back, shoulder, wrist, and knee injuries.”
This citation was issued after a bill being considered by the state legislature this year was ultimately unsuccessful. By addressing productivity requirements for employees and the pressure to reach them, Senate Bill 5891 aimed to reduce workplace injuries in large warehouses.
Featured Image: Megapixl © Alexeynovikov
Author Faith Yakubu 
