A lawsuit brought against Amazon by New York Attorney General Letitia James over the company’s worker safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as alleged worker retaliation, has been dismissed by an appeals court in New York, says a Tuesday report from the Associated Press.
James’ lawsuit alleged that Amazon potentially exposed employees to COVID at two company facilities in New York City and that the e-tailing giant illegally retaliated against workers who raised concerns over warehouse safety.
The appeals court said federal labor law preempts state labor law, so the National Labor Relations Board should be the forum for such disputes. The court also said the lawsuit’s effort to make Amazon comply with New York’s COVID-19 workplace guidelines is no longer relevant, since those guidelines have been lifted.
Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has said it “moved fast from the onset of the pandemic, listened to and learned from the experts” and took “a comprehensive approach to COVID-19 safety.” It’s also pushed back against retaliation accusations, saying, in one instance, that a dismissed employee had violated COVID protocols.
