On Wednesday, former Amazon worker Tori Davis and 25 different staff filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging the corporate pressured them to work in a harmful surroundings, experiences the Chicago Tribune. Davis raised considerations about Amazon’s dealing with of a racist demise menace, and claims the retailer fired her after she threatened authorized motion if it didn’t tackle the incident.
In May, staff on the firm’s MDW2 warehouse in Joliet, Illinois — a metropolis 35 miles exterior of Chicago — discovered two racist messages utilizing the N-word scribbled on the wall of one of many facility’s loos, based on the criticism filed with the EEOC. Davis, who’s Black, left work with out pay after her co-workers found the graffiti. After police investigated the incident, Amazon allegedly despatched a textual content message to workers stating regulation enforcement “didn’t determine threats to the positioning’s security.”
According to the criticism, Amazon additionally allowed white workers at MDW2 to put on clothes that displayed the Confederate flag. One particular person allegedly had a shirt the place staff might see the flag “prominently” on each the garment’s again and sleeves.
“Amazon works hard to protect our employees from any form of discrimination and to provide an environment where employees feel safe,” an Amazon spokesperson instructed Engadget. “Hate or racism have no place in our society and are certainly not tolerated by Amazon.”
At a press convention, Davis mentioned she wish to see Amazon implement extra security insurance policies at MDW2 and enhance Black employee illustration on the facility. She can also be interesting her termination. Amazon has confronted allegations of permitting racism within the office earlier than. Last yr, a supervisor with the corporate’s AWS division mentioned she was subjected to harassment from a supervisor who used racial tropes. The firm additionally has a historical past of terminating workers who’ve sought to enhance situations at its workplaces.