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| Debbie Dingell |
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| Rashida Tlaib |
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said Friday that police were called while she and fellow Congresswoman Debbie Dingell attempted to visit the facility to observe working conditions.
Tlaib and Dingell called for a federal investigation into Amazon coronavirus mitigation protocols in May after receiving complaints from employees at the Romulus center. The visit Friday was, the elected officials said, at the request of workers and an invitation from Amazon officials.
Tlaib said that she and Dingell waited for an hour and a half at the Romulus warehouse but were admitted only after police were called.
“They told us it was a misunderstanding, but we were completely taken aback,” Tlaib added. “Despite their claims to the contrary, there was no misunderstanding. They knew exactly who we were,” the lawmakers said in a prepared statement. The congresswomen said that workers had complained about the lack of coronavirus protection provided by Amazon in a letter to federal officials back in May. Workers cited a lack of available cleaning supplies, inflexible leave policies and an inability to maintain social distancing. “Once we were finally allowed inside, and despite an hour and a half spent prepping the facility, we got a firsthand look at the unacceptable and unsafe conditions that workers have been telling our offices about for months. We plan to release additional documentary photos and footage from our visit soon,” Tlaib and Dingell said.
“In short, we observed many of the conditions that concerned Amazon workers have reported to our offices over the last few months. Employee screening is poorly executed, cleaning is insufficient, social distancing is often difficult or impossible, and Amazon's relentless quota system does not allow for breaks for adequate personal hygiene. Moreover, if Amazon is willing to call the police on congresswomen it invited to tour its facility, we can only imagine the harassment and intimidation Amazon workers have faced for speaking out. While some minor improvements have been made, many concerns remain unaddressed,” the elected officials said.
In August, Amazon officials said the company had spent more than $4 billion company-wide on improving coronavirus procedures in facilities across the country. According to an Amazon blog post, employees are provided training on mask-wearing, proper hand washing techniques and daily temperature checks.
At the Romulus facility, employees must undergo a temperature scan and health screening before being allowed to start their shift, according to Amazon officials. Social distancing assistants scan the work floor to determine when employees are too close to each other. Functioning somewhat like traffic lights, the social distancing assistants use video monitors which show a green light around employees maintaining proper distance. Red lights appear around workers who are too close together.
Those protocols were not in evidence during the congresswomen's visit.
“Amazon has been posting record sales throughout the pandemic, only possible thanks to its fulfillment center workforce. It's far past time that Amazon workers share in that prosperity, and having a safe workplace is the least Amazon can do. We are grateful to the Amazon workers on the floor who thanked us for being there, and we will not stop advocating for their right to a safe and fair working environment,” Tlaib and Dingell said.
