Amazon Obstructing Probe Of Deadly Warehouse Collapse: House Committee

EDWARDSVILLE, IL — Amazon is obstructing a U.S. House committee investigation and refusing to turn over documents related to a deadly tornado that killed six workers at an Edwardsville warehouse in December, committee members said in a letter to the head of the company.

“Amazon has failed to produce any internal communications related to the December 2021 tornado that affected Amazon’s Edwardsville facility,” said the letter to Amazon President and CEO Andy Jassy. The letter was was signed by House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney and members Reps. Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

On Dec. 10, Edwardsville was hit by an EF3 tornado with 136 mph winds, which caused 150 yards of the warehouse — about half — to collapse and killed the workers, who ranged in age from 26 to 62.

Text messages obtained by media outlets in the days following the disaster indicated Amazon refused to let its employees leave work before the tornado hit and that one supervisor ordered a driver who expressed concern about tornado alarms to “keep delivering for now.”

The committee is investigating whether Amazon leaders coerced workers in a way that contributed to the death toll and if the company has put other employees at risk in severe weather. The probe will inform legislative efforts to curb unfair practices, strengthen worker protection and address the effects of climate change on employee safety.

The committee requested to receive by April 14 from Amazon any communications among Edwardsville employees and managers, the company's policies for emergency preparedness, and internal reviews or investigations related to the tornado.

“Amazon has refused to produce any documents related to its own internal investigations and reviews of the Edwardsville incident, which are central to the Committee’s inquiry,” a committee news release said Thursday.

Over the course of seven weeks, the company put forth an incomplete set of policies, procedures and communications, according to the letter.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in April revealed that an inspection of the Edwardsville facility raised concerns about risk to employees during severe weather, the letter said, although the agency does not have a standard that requires weather-related plans. A month later, Amazon shareholders opposed an independent audit of warehouse working conditions.

After receiving the committee’s letter Wednesday, the company produced a limited set of documents but did not fully address the committee’s requests, according to the news release.

“We were surprised to receive this letter because we began producing materials to the Committee just two weeks after receiving its initial request and have produced more than 1,500 pages of responsive information,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a prepared statement provided to Patch. “As we have done from the start, we will continue to work with Committee staff on further document production — which includes the most recent materials we shared on June 1.”

The committee has extended its deadline for Amazon to turn over the documents. They are now due June 8.