Amazon.com Inc. is suing New York’s attorney general to prevent the state from potentially taking legal action against the company over its handling of worker safety during the Covid-19 pandemic and firing of one of its warehouse workers last year.
In a complaint filed Friday in federal court in Brooklyn, Amazon said that New York Attorney General Letitia James has threatened to sue the company if it doesn’t agree to a list of demands, including reducing its production speeds and performance requirements and paying “large sums” to Christian Smalls, the fired worker.
The state “lacks the legal authority it purports to wield against Amazon,” the Seattle-based company said in the complaint, arguing that its operations are “governed by federal law and enforced by federal regulators.”
Amazon is asking a judge to rule that Ms. James lacks the authority to regulate workplace safety and prevent her from pursuing litigation against the company over the issue.
“We will not be intimidated by anyone, especially corporate bullies that put profits over the health and safety of working people,” Ms. James said in a statement Friday. “We remain undeterred in our efforts to protect workers from exploitation and will continue to review all of our legal options.”
