RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Amazon reportedly is in trouble with the National Labor Relations Board, which has determined Amazon illegally retaliated against two of its most prominent internal critics when it fired them last year.
So says Reuters, citing a report from The New York Times.
“Amazon illegally retaliated against two of its most prominent internal critics when it fired them last year, the National Labor Relations Board has determined,” said The Times.
Reuters picked up the report as did CNBC.
Amazon is also dealing with a possible pro-union vote at its operation in Alabama.
“The employees, Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, had publicly pushed the company to reduce its impact on climate change and address concerns about its warehouse workers,” the Times reported Monday.
“The agency told Cunningham and Costa that it would accuse Amazon of unfair labor practices if the company did not settle the case, according to correspondence that Cunningham shared with The New York Times.”
In a statement, Amazon defended the firings.
“We support every employee’s right to criticize their employer’s working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against our internal policies, all of which are lawful,” said Jaci Anderson, an Amazon spokeswoman, according to the Times. “We terminated these employees not for talking publicly about working conditions, safety or sustainability but, rather, for repeatedly violating internal policies.”
Amazon has a growing presence in the Triangle and North Carolina with distribution centers and warehouses.
