Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders launched an investigation into charges of unsafe working conditions at Amazon.com Inc. warehouses across the US, raising the possibility of high-profile hearings on complaints over the retailer’s treatment of employees.
Safety issues at Amazon’s warehouses have been a flashpoint between the company and labor activists. The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in February cited the company for violations of safety laws at warehouses in three states.
Sanders, who chairs the Senate committee with jurisdiction over labor laws, portrayed the company as maintaining its position as one of the world’s most valuable companies at the expense of its workers’ well-being, saying Amazon employees suffer higher injury rates than comparable workers elsewhere.
