Former Amazon employee on New York lawsuit against tech giant: ‘This will be a huge victory for Amazon workers’

Chris Smalls, a former Amazon employee who was fired after leading a walkout against pandemic working conditions, said on Tuesday that a New York lawsuit filed against the online retail giant is a “huge victory for Amazon workers.”

“You know, without a voice and without legal representation, we have nobody to stand up for us so I’m just happy that the state of New York is not only holding true to that word but they continue to investigate and ultimately prosecute Amazon, which we hope to see comes out to be successful for all of us. This will be a huge victory for Amazon workers,” Smalls said during an appearance on Hill.TV’s “Rising.” . 

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) moved to sue Amazon last week in a complaint similar to one filed last year by Smalls that alleges the company operated with “flagrant disregard” go workplace safety codes and retaliated against workers like Smalls who spoke out.

Smalls alleges in a suit that Amazon failed to protect workers at its Staten Island fulfillment center against the coronavirus pandemic.

Host Krystal Ball noted that part of James’s lawsuit “validated exactly” what Smalls was protesting.

“Their protocol, their policies and procedures were flawed from the beginning, as I always stated,” Smalls said. “And this is a prime example of what happens when you fail [and] neglect the health and safety of workers. So, once again, I applaud Letitia James for stepping up and taking on Amazon.”