Amazon has apologized for a few tweets from its company news account in which Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Calif.) Is attacked for criticizing the company’s work environment amid major union action at a fulfillment center in Alabama.
“This was an own goal, we are not happy about it, and we apologize to Representative Pocan,” Amazon said in a statement Friday.
Pocan responded Saturday morning.
This is not about me, this is about your employees – who do not treat you with due respect or dignity, ”he wrote.
Amazon is fighting a union action at a facility in Bessemer, Alabama that threatens to boost unions’ efforts elsewhere in the country. The company raised eyebrows last week for a series of unusually snotty responses to politicians tweeting about its employees and business practices.
It was a strategy that reportedly came off the top – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wanted his corporate communications team to respond more aggressively to allegations of unfair labor practices, Recode said.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Among others, has expressed strong support for Amazon employees’ pursuit of better conditions. Last Wednesday, Amazon CEO Dave Clark eagerly welcomed the senator to the Alabama facility in a tweet sarcastically thanking him for his work on behalf of American workers.
“I often say that we are the Bernie Sanders of employers, but that’s not right because we provide a progressive workplace,” said Clark.
It was Pocan who jumped in to respond to Clark. “Paying employees $ 15 / hour doesn’t make you a ‘progressive workplace’ if you dissolve unions and let employees pee in water bottles,” he tweeted.
Amazon News, an Amazon business Twitter account, responded to Pocan in a tone similar to Clark’s.
‘You don’t really believe peeing in bottles, do you? If that were true, no one would work for us, ”the tweet said.
In fact, it is well documented that Amazon employees are subject to strict and physically demanding protocols. Some employees say they sometimes take extreme measures to avoid leaving work, because too much “free time”, as Amazon calls breaks, can lead to discipline.
However, it’s less common for Amazon warehouse workers to take bathroom shortcuts than it is for delivery workers, who struggle to find public restrooms – especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
In its statement on Friday, Amazon acknowledged the tweet was wrong.
“It failed to take into account our high number of drivers and instead falsely focused only on our fulfillment centers,” the company explained, saying it was aware that delivery drivers are struggling to find toilets and pledged a solution to help. for the “industry-wide” problem.
Amazon then distinguished its drivers from its employees in the fulfillment center.
“A typical Amazon fulfillment center has dozens of toilets and employees can walk away from their workplace at any time. If an employee in a fulfillment center has a different experience, we encourage them to speak to their manager and we will work to resolve the issue. “
Amazon’s apology to Pocan was published late Friday, which could be interpreted as an attempt to get it out quietly. The company also remained mum on Amazon News’ other tweets aimed at Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Who has also proven himself to be one of Amazon’s loudest critics in Congress.
Amazon workers have already voted on the union demand, but their ballots are still counted, according to AL.com. Nearly 6,000 ballots were sent. Results are expected in the coming week.
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