Union leader criticizes Amazon's labor practices in Senate hearing

Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders called a hearing to urge the White House to stop offering federal contracts to companies like Amazon accused of unfair labor practices. In his opening remarks, Sanders urged Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, who was invited to the hearing but did not attend, to prevent the company from unionizing.

Smalls is President of the Amazon Labor Union, a non-profit organization run by current and former employees. Last month, workers at Amazon's Staten Island warehouse voted for the company's first union in the United States, despite a high-level opposition campaign by Amazon. However, the ALU could not repeat its success earlier this week when workers at its second Staten Island warehouse rejected the union.

"We cannot allow Amazon or any other company to receive taxpayer money for engaging in illegal behavior that destroys unions and denies workers' rights," Smalls said. "We cannot offer these employers federal contracts. In addition, we cannot allow them to receive taxpayer subsidies from our state and local governments.

Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Budget Committee, called the trial "radical" and criticized Sanders for breaking away from Amazon.

"This is an attempt to get the desired result by using the United States Senate as your tool," Graham said. "This is very dangerous. You can do whatever surveillance hearings you want, but you find Amazon is a stupid company.

Smalls responded to Graham, saying, "You have talked about more companies and businesses in your speech, but you forgot that the people make this business work, and we are not protected."

Smalls was fired from Amazon in 2020 after the company said it violated social distancing rules. Smalls claims he was fired in retaliation for organizing protests to demand stricter security measures in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. His firing sparked widespread outrage, including a complaint from New York Attorney General Leticia James, who tried to force Amazon to rehire Smalls.