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<\/p>\nSacramento, CA… California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced filing a petition in the Sacramento County Superior Court requesting that the court order Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) to comply with outstanding investigative subpoenas. The state\u2019s petition alleges that Amazon has failed to adequately comply with lawful requests for information as part of an ongoing investigation into the company\u2019s coronavirus protocols and the status of COVID-19 cases at Amazon facilities across the state.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAmazon has made billions during this pandemic relying on the labor of essential workers. Their workers get the job done while putting themselves at risk,\u201d\u00a0said Attorney General Becerra.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s critical to know if these workers are receiving the protections on the job that they are entitled to under the law. Time is of the essence. Amazon has delayed responding adequately to our investigative requests long enough. We\u2019re seeking a court order to compel Amazon to comply fully with our investigative subpoenas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following months of informal communication with Amazon seeking information about workplace health and safety measures, the California Department of Justice issued investigative subpoenas on August 19, 2020. The subpoenas seek specific details about the nature and extent of Amazon\u2019s coronavirus prevention efforts, including with regard to sick leave policies and cleaning procedures, as well as raw data on the number of infections and deaths at their facilities in the state. To date, Amazon has failed to adequately respond, missing several additional opportunities to comply with the Attorney General\u2019s information request. Despite the fact that Amazon has reportedly seen record sales and profits during the pandemic, the company has been unwilling to provide to the California Department of Justice the information needed to adequately demonstrate that it takes the health and well-being of its workers seriously. The Attorney General\u2019s investigation is ongoing and no determinations have been made regarding the company\u2019s coronavirus protocols, particularly given Amazon\u2019s limited responsiveness.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Becerra is committed to protecting hardworking Americans and their families in California and across the country.\u00a0Last week, the Attorney General pushed back on a Trump Administration effort to\u00a0effectively rip wages away<\/a>\u00a0from essential\u00a0farmworkers.\u00a0Last month,\u00a0he\u00a0urged the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to\u00a0adopt an emergency temporary standard<\/a>\u00a0aimed at protecting workers across California from exposure to COVID-19, which the Board\u00a0approved unanimously<\/a>\u00a0that same week. In August, the California Department of Justice assisted Merced County in its efforts to\u00a0contain a coronavirus outbreak<\/a>\u00a0at a Foster Farms facility in Livingston, California. In June, the Attorney General urged Walmart to\u00a0step up efforts to protect workers and the public<\/a>\u00a0during COVID-19. In May, he slammed the President\u2019s reckless executive order\u00a0forcing meat and poultry processing plant employees to work<\/a>\u00a0without adequate protections during the current public health crisis. In March, Attorney General Becerra called on Amazon and Whole Foods to\u00a0step up efforts to protect workers<\/a>\u00a0by providing adequate paid sick leave. More information on the California Department of Justice\u2019s efforts to protect the public during COVID-19 is available on the Attorney General\u2019s website at\u00a0https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/consumers\/COVID-19<\/a>.<\/p>\n