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Amazon responds as CT lawmakers seek to rein in warehouse rules

Amazon employees give a safety tour around building 4 of the Amazon Fulfillment center in Windsor. This worker kneels to reach the lowest shelf on a robotic unit she is loading. The guide mounted to her left suggests the correct stance for working at each height.
Tyler Russell
/
Connecticut Public
Amazon employees give a safety tour around building 4 of the Amazon Fulfillment center in Windsor. This worker kneels to reach the lowest shelf on a robotic unit she is loading. The guide mounted to her left suggests the correct stance for working at each height.

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State lawmakers are considering new rules for big, modern warehouses like the massive facilities operated by Amazon.

At a public hearing last month, some Amazon workers said they could be penalized by a performance tracking app if they took too long going to the bathroom.

Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, co-chair of the state's Labor Committee, said the bill would require employers to tell warehouse workers about any quotas they are expected to meet for tasks completed.

"It also allows them time to go to the restroom, including travel time to get to the restroom," Kushner told Connecticut Public Radio's Where We Live. "These are massive operations. That makes it a little more understandable why it might take someone a longer time to walk to the bathroom."

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company supports the "goal of the bill," but said there are misunderstandings about Amazon's warehouse operations. The company recently invited Connecticut Public for a safety briefing at its newest warehouse in Windsor, which spans 66 football fields.

When warehouse employees walk away from their station, Nantel said, they are required to scan their badge and log out.

"We're talking about long periods of time. We're talking about more than 30 minutes total in any given day where I might be logged in, and not doing my job," Nantel said. "That's what results in a manager coming and talking about ... performance."

The proposal before lawmakers also requires the state to collect information on warehouse worker injuries.

Nantel said the reportable injury rate has fallen by almost 24% since 2019. But a labor union group called the Strategic Organizing Center said Amazon workers are twice as likely to be injured on the job, as employees at other warehouses.

Amazon has more than 15,000 employees and 14 warehouses in the state.

Connecticut Public Radio's Katie Pellico and Catherine Shen contributed to this report.

Corrected: May 30, 2023 at 4:16 PM EDT
A previous version of this story mistated the intent of the bill. The proposal would require employers, not employees, to tell warehouse workers about any quotas they are expected to meet. The story has been updated to reflect the correction.
Matt Dwyer is an editor, reporter and midday host for Connecticut Public's news department. He produces local news during All Things Considered.

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