A 1.1 million- square-foot Amazon warehouse that collapsed in Illinois was one of the buildings that were hit by a series of deadly tornadoes on Friday. Amazon has come under scrutiny for not allowing its warehouse workers to have their cell phones with them at work.
A report published on Sunday showed that employees were upset about the ban on cell phones at the company. The outlet spoke to five Amazon employees, some of whom work in a company facility across the street from the Edwardsville warehouse, who said they want to be able to receive information about deadly weather events through their phones.
The concrete walls of the warehouse collapsed on themselves after the roof was ripped off by a tornado. At least 45 Amazon workers made it out of the rubble. The warehouse has 190 workers, according to Amazon.
According to the report, Amazon requires employees to leave their phones in their lockers or cars, and forbids employees from carrying their phones with them. The company loosened its policy during the Pandemic, but has been slowly reinstating the ban in facilities throughout the U.S.
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An unnamed worker from another Amazon facility in Illinois said that having their phone with them on the warehouse floor would allow them to contact their loved ones if they become trapped during an extreme weather event.
The worker said that after the deaths there was no way he was going to rely on Amazon to keep him safe. I will resign if they institute a no cell phone policy.
A worker at an Amazon warehouse in Indiana spoke out about safety concerns. She doesn't work when Amazon keeps the warehouse open when there is a chance of extreme weather. She decided to use paid time off to stay home after consulting with her phone about the weather.
The employee said that he didn't trust them with his safety. I think I should be able to make my own decision about safety if there is severe weather.
Kelly Nantel told Gizmodo on Sunday that the company was still providing support to its team.
The news that members of the Amazon family passed away as a result of the storm in Illinois is very sad. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the tornado. We want to thank the first responders for their continued efforts. We are providing support to our employees and partners in the area.
Amazon said it would donate $1 million to the community foundation. The company is reaching out to the families of the warehouse workers killed in the collapse and providing them with accommodations and hot meals.
The company said that employees and drivers are allowed to have their cell phones, despite the no cell phone policy for warehouse workers. We asked for clarification about whether employees and drivers are allowed to have their cell phones with them on the warehouse floor, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. If we hear back, we will make sure to update this post.
Concerns about the accessibility of cell phones and Amazon's emergency protocols have been raised. Warehouse Workers for Justice, an Illinois nonprofit dedicated to helping warehouse workers obtain dignified and stable jobs that provide livable wages, called on Illinois legislators to hold a hearing on Amazon's safety practices in its facilities.
We call on Illinois legislators to convene a hearing to ensure that all Amazon facilities are places of safety for workers and that no family has to worry whether or not their loved ones will make it home from work after hours.
Employees at the site received tornado warnings according to Amazon. The team worked quickly to make sure that everyone could get to the shelter.
