SAN FRANCISCO – On June 11, 2020, Andrus Anderson LLP filed a lawsuit against AmazonFresh LLC, Prime Now LLC, and Amazon.com, Inc., in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging unsafe working conditions at an Amazon’s distribution centre, including practices that are inconsistent with local and state Covid-19 mandates.
Plaintiff Chiyomi Brent works as a an order picker at the San Francisco Fulfillment Center and alleges that Amazon failed to implement reasonable policies to ensure employee safety in violation of multiple state and local mandates designed to prevent the spread of Covif-19.
Pickers in the Fulfillment Center scan and fill orders for groceries and other essentials for home delivery. However, pickers are required to use full body freezer suits and other equipment that is not cleaned between uses, presenting an unreasonable risk of Covid-19 infection, the lawsuit alleges.
Furthermore, Amazon’s 60-item-per-hour scanning quota makes it impossible for the order pickers to maintain social distancing or proper sanitation, according to the complaint.
“Amazon is aware of the public health hazards alleged in the complaint, which we suspect are widespread, but it has refused to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of its essential workers,” said Brent’s attorney, Jennie Lee Anderson of Andrus Anderson LLP.
“Needlessly increasing essential workers’ risk of infection is unacceptable, and Amazon’s lack of attention to safety poses a threat to the entire community,” Anderson said.
The complaint alleges Amazon’s conduct violates state and local laws and constitutes a public nuisance. Chiyomi is seeking damages, and declaratory and injunctive relief.
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