Amazon has a history of firing protest participants. According to the New York Times, a judge has ordered Amazon to re-assign warehouse worker Gerald Bryson, who was fired from his role at Staten Island's JFK8 facility after allegedly violating language policies during a COVID-19 safety protest. Green was in favor of the National Labor Relations Board's argument that Amazon retaliated against Bryson for protesting, and used a "skewed" investigation to find pretexts for firing the employee.
The protester called for Amazon to shut down the warehouse for safety reasons. A female employee said she was grateful for the work. The woman who received a written warning was the only one who was fired. According to Green, the people Amazon interviewed for its investigation provided one-sided, exaggerated versions of events, including claims of racial slur use that weren't supported by video evidence. The person who recorded the video was not interviewed by Amazon.
The judge found that Amazon had issued lighter punishments for more serious offenses. The company did not give all the documents requested in the subpoena.
In a statement to The Times, Amazon said it disagreed with Green's decision and that the NLRB wanted the company to "condone" Bryson's behavior. The tech giant was going to appeal the decision.
Amazon has been accused of retaliating against staff who challenge its policies. Chris Smalls is a safety protest leader. Maren Costa and Emily Cunningham were fired for being vocal critics of Amazon. The workers were dropped by Amazon for violating policy.
Amazon faces a growing backlash from workers. On top of the successful unionization vote at JFK8, the company is grappling with a close rerun election for unionization at an Alabama warehouse as well as a looming vote at a second Staten Island facility. Employees are demanding better treatment, and the company's attempts to quash dissent aren't always successful.
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