Letter to Andy Jassy, President and Chief Executive Office of Amazon.com, Inc - Bush, Maloney, Ocasio-Cortez Demand Amazon Comply with Oversight Investigation into the Company's Labor Practices

Letter

Dear Mr. Jassy:

We are writing to demand that Amazon comply with the Committee's March 31, 2022,
request for documents and information related to Amazon's labor practices during severe
weather events. The Committee launched this investigation following the deaths of six Amazon
workers during a December 2021 tornado in Edwardsville, Illinois.

The Committee's investigation is focused on whether Amazon executives and managers engaged in coercive conduct that contributed to the high death toll in Edwardsville, and whether the company's labor practices have put other Amazon workers at risk during severe weather events. Unfortunately, Amazon has failed to meaningfully comply with the Committee's requests, obstructing the Committee's investigation.

The Committee's letter, sent more than two months ago, sought documents related to the
Edwardsville tragedy, including communications among Amazon's employees and managers at
the Edwardsville facility; Amazon's policies related to emergency preparedness; and the
company's internal reviews or investigations related to the tragedy. The Committee also sought
information on injuries and deaths suffered by Amazon employees and contractors during other
severe weather events. These documents were due on April 14, 2022. To assist the company in
complying with the request, Committee staff identified limited categories of key documents to
prioritize.

Nearly seven weeks have passed since the April 2022 deadline, yet Amazon still has not
produced any of the key categories of documents identified by Committee staff, let alone the full
set of materials the Committee requested in March. For example, Amazon has failed to produce
any internal communications related to the December 2021 tornado that affected Amazon's
Edwardsville facility.

Amazon has also refused to produce any documents related to internal investigations and
reviews of the Edwardsville incident, which are central to the Committee's inquiry. On May 17,
2022, counsel to Amazon claimed that Amazon is withholding these documents based on workproduct and attorney-client privileges. As Committee staff previously informed your counsel,
the Committee, under chairs of both parties, does not recognize common-law privileges as valid
reasons to withhold documents from Congress.

Over the course of nearly seven weeks, Amazon produced only an incomplete set of
policies and procedures. Amazon's inability to produce even this limited set of materials in a
timely manner is troubling, given that the company represented to Members of Congress more
than four months ago that it was "conducting a thorough internal investigation" into the
Edwardsville events, and "cooperating" with an inquiry by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA). In light of this, relevant policy and procedure documents--as well as
many other documents the company is withholding--should have been ready for immediate
production.

The Committee's investigation is of crucial importance to the American people.
Employers like Amazon must prioritize worker safety over the corporate bottom line. Our
investigation into Amazon's response to the events in Edwardsville and other extreme weather
events seeks to determine whether Amazon's corporate practices put employee safety first, or
whether your company, which now employs nearly one million people in the United States, is
merely paying lip service to this principle. As we noted back in March, "This investigation will
inform legislative efforts to curb unfair labor practices, strengthen protections for workers, and
address the effects of climate change on worker safety."

Since sending our March 31, 2022, request, the Committee's concerns about Amazon's
safety and labor practices have only increased. On April 26, OSHA revealed that an inspection
of the Edwardsville facility "raised concerns about the potential risk to employees during severe
weather emergencies," and recommended that Amazon "voluntarily take the necessary steps to
eliminate or materially reduce your employees' exposure" to the risk factors OSHA identified.

Yet on May 25, 2022, Amazon shareholders--following the company's recommendation--
defeated a proposal for an independent audit of working conditions at the company's
warehouses. This vote came on the same day that shareholders approved a compensation
package for you worth more than $212 million.

Amazon's failure to provide key documents has obstructed the Committee's
investigation. As an additional accommodation, the Committee will grant an extension until
June 8, 2022, for Amazon to complete its document production. If Amazon fails to do so, the
Committee will have no choice but to consider alternative measures to obtain full compliance.
Sincerely,

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