Amazon faces probe for illegally firing a US worker at its warehouse: Report

E-commerce giant Amazon is set to face a probe by the labor board in the US for allegedly firing a worker at one of its New York warehouses, the media reported.

The US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is preparing to issue a formal complaint against Amazon for illegally firing Daequan Smith who has since been homeless.

Amazon Labor Union (ALU) tweeted on Friday, "It's official: the NLRB found merit to the charge that Daequan Smith, ALU organiser, was illegally terminated by Amazon for engaging in union activity.

"Daequan is now homeless and sleeping on a couch, another casualty of Amazon's endless war on workers." According to The Verge, the ALU is awaiting a hearing on its petition to hold a union election at four of Amazon's warehouses in Staten Island.

Smith was a worker at one of the Staten Island warehouses.

An NLRB spokesperson said, "The complaint would allege a discharge because of union and other protected concerted activities, among other allegations".

The NLRB in August last year ordered Amazon to redo a union election at its warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, after finding the company interfered in the first election in April 2021.

An initial assessment from the NLRB recommended workers at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama's Bessemer held a new election to determine whether to unionise with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

(With inputs from IANS)

Published on: Saturday, January 22, 2022, 03:17 PM IST