New York is getting closer to Amazon’s production quota for warehouses
The New York State Assembly on Friday passed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA), a law that would require Amazon and other companies to disclose manufacturing quotas to employees. first reported by CNBC† If New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signs the bill, it would also prevent workers from meeting quotas that require them to skip lunch or bathroom breaks.
Like a similar bill passed in California last September, the WWPA states that employers must provide each warehouse worker with “a written description of any quota to which the worker is subject” when hired (or within 30 days of the bill taking effect). It also prohibits employers from punishing employees for failing to meet quotas that were not disclosed, or for skipping breaks to meet. Governor Hochul has not indicated whether she plans to pass the bill or not, CNBC notes. The edge contacted Amazon with a request for comment, but didn’t hear back immediately.
While the text of the bill does not directly mention Amazon, New York Senator Jessica Ramos (D) acknowledged that it was designed to address Amazon’s management practices, which Ramos claims include “dehumanizing workers and punishing the very human need for rest.” Previous reports revealed that Amazon is using an automated tracking system to evaluate employee productivity, with some employees reportedly resorting to peeing bottles and skipping bathroom breaks to meet the e-commerce giant’s manufacturing standards.
The organization’s efforts are mounting in Amazon warehouses in New York and across the country. In April, workers at a Staten Island, New York warehouse became the first Amazon warehouse workers to join a union. So far, it’s the only warehouse to vote for a union — a neighboring Staten Island warehouse voted against unionization last month, as the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) disputes the results of a union election in a Bessemer, Alabama. warehouse, claiming that Amazon again interfered with the results.
