Federal Lawmakers Press Bezos on Amazon’s Firing of Employee Activists as Antitrust Probe Looms
May 07 2020
Nine Senate Democrats asked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to explain the rationale for firing four employees who spoke out about the company's workplace safety policies in a letter sent to the executive Wednesday.
The lawmakers added their voices to a chorus of criticism over Amazon's response to the coronavirus crisis and decision to fire the employee activists.
<p><strong>What's new:</strong> Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and several of their colleagues asked Bezos to explain Amazon's policies for employee discipline and termination "to understand how the termination of employees that raised concerns about health and safety conditions did not constitute retaliation for whistleblowing" by May 20. "Given the clear public history of these four workers' advocacy on behalf of health and safety conditions for workers in Amazon warehouses preceding their terminations, and Amazon's vague public statements regarding violations of 'internal policies,' we are seeking additional information to understand exactly what those internal policies are," the letter says.</p><p><strong>Background:</strong> Last month, Amazon <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-fires-two-employees-called-climate-change-reform-better-warehouse-conditions/" target="_blank">fired user experience designers</a> Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, outspoken leaders of the activist group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice. They spent more than a year pressuring their employer to enact stronger sustainability policies before turning their attention to the COVID-19 outbreaks at Amazon fulfillment centers. Two warehouse workers who called for broader safety measures were also terminated last month. An influential Amazon engineer and VP <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/amazon-engineers-react-colleagues-resignation-companys-covid-19-response-sparks-debate/" target="_blank">resigned from the company</a> last week in response to the firings.</p><p><strong>Amazon's side:</strong> "These individuals were not terminated for talking publicly about working conditions or safety, but rather, for violating — often repeatedly — policies, such as intimidation, physical distancing and more," an Amazon spokesperson told GeekWire. "We support every employees' right to criticize or protest their employer's working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies. We look forward to explaining in more detail in our response to the Senators' letter."</p><p><strong>In context:</strong> Federal lawmakers aren't just scrutinizing Amazon for its labor practices. The House subcommittee on antitrust sent a separate letter to Bezos earlier this month <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/house-lawmakers-want-jeff-bezos-testify-antitrust-issues-claiming-deputy-mislead-congress/" target="_blank">asking him to testify before Congress</a>. They want Bezos to explain apparent inconsistencies between the testimony of one of his deputies last year and recent news reports that indicate Amazon uses third-party seller data to compete with those vendors in its marketplace. Rep. David Cicilline suggested Thursday that Bezos is reluctant to testify in a <a href="https://www.politico.com/cvb57livestream" target="_blank">live-streamed interview with Politico</a>.</p><p><strong>Big picture: </strong>Amazon is waging war against the pandemic on two fronts. Seemingly overnight, Amazon became a lifeline for thousands of people sheltering at home around the world. Demand for Amazon products and services surged, compelling the company to hire an additional 175,000 workers to keep up. Amazon is managing customer demand but struggling to contain COVID-19 outbreaks in its warehouses, creating a logistical and PR nightmare for the company. The virus has broken out in more than 130 warehouses, according to internal employee counts and local news reports. Amazon has not disclosed the number of employees or warehouses with the virus. At least three Amazon workers have died from COVID-19, according to the letter senators sent to Bezos this week.</p><p><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/federal-lawmakers-press-bezos-amazons-firing-employee-activists-antitrust-probe-looms/" target="_blank"><em>This story first appeared on GeekWire. </em></a></p>
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Jeff Bezos is the reported buyer of more prime real estate. This time, the Amazon CEO has dropped a record $165 million on a storied estate in Beverly Hills, Calif., according to The Wall Street Journal.
Bezos purchased the property — designed for Warner Bros. president Jack Warner in the 1930s — from media mogul David Geffen, and the price tag eclipses a $150 million residential real estate purchase of a Bel-Air estate last year by Lachlan Murdoch.
<p>The Journal, citing a person familiar with the transaction, reported that Bezos Expeditions, an umbrella company for various Bezos endeavors, also spent $90 million for a nearby plot of undeveloped land from the estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.</p><p>The Warner Estate was celebrated as the ultimate studio mogul property in a <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/jack-l-warner-beverly-hills-house" target="_blank">1992 feature in Architectural Digest</a>. The 13,600-square-foot Georgian-style mansion sits on nine acres and was said to include "expansive terraces and gardens, two guesthouses, nursery and three hothouses, tennis court, swimming pool, nine-hole golf course and motor court complete with its own service garage and gas pumps."</p><p>Geffen bought the property for $47.5 million in 1990 — which was a record then for a Los Angeles area home.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjY5MTA3MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Mzg2ODExNn0.NelL0gaNHpf5XHN6DVR_cBkO0Bc9cJf0cPvdG8F7Cs8/img.png?width=980" id="5123e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f04093a20ee862bc8a4983d584e09065" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Google Maps Image</small></p><p>The property, which <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/1801+Angelo+Dr,+Beverly+Hills,+CA+90210/@34.0860567,-118.4262508,221m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2bc42fcd132d1:0xd341ff82ccbc167d!8m2!3d34.08619!4d-118.425772" target="_blank">can be seen here</a>, is featured in the book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Estates-Beverly-Hills/dp/0847831620/ref=sr_1_1?crid=J4JEV4QHVI3A&keywords=the+legendary+estates+of+beverly+hills&qid=1581548398&sprefix=the+legendary+es%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills</a>" by real estate magnate and architectural historian Jeff Hyland.<br/></p><p>"No studio czar's residence, before or since, has ever surpassed in size, grandeur, or sheer glamour than the Jack Warner Estate on Angelo Drive in Benedict Canyon," <a href="https://thelegendaryestatesofbeverlyhills.com/blogs/excerpts/18033280-angelo-drive-warner-brothers-helmer-jack-warner-s-distinguished-landmark" target="_blank">Hyland wrote</a>.</p><p>Bezos' appetite for fancy living spaces has him scooping up properties on both coasts. Last June, the world's richest person was the <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/jeff-bezos-really-love-new-york-months-amazon-ditched-city-ceo-drops-80m-3-condos/" target="_blank">reported buyer of three condos</a> in New York City valued at $80 million. In 2017, he purchased a mansion in an exclusive Washington, D.C., neighborhood for $23 million and then <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/worlds-richest-man-renovate-floor-plans-reveal-jeff-bezos-big-ideas-23m-d-c-mansion/" target="_blank">set out to renovate the place</a> for a reported $12 million.</p><p><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/report-jeff-bezos-buys-l-mansion-165m-land-paul-allen-estate-90m/" target="_blank">This story originally appeared on GeekWire.</a></p>
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was back in attendance at the Academy Awards on Sunday night and even though there was no official host, comedians Steve Martin and Chris Rock took notice in a monologue that opened the show.
"Jeff Bezos is here!" Rock said. "Great actor," Martin replied as the camera caught Bezos.
"He's got cash. When he writes a check the bank bounces," Rock said before three more jokes came the way of the billionaire Bezos.
<div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oscars?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oscars</a>: Steve Martin and Chris Rock take a few jabs at Jeff Bezos <a href="https://t.co/LXfyE95ZiL">pic.twitter.com/LXfyE95ZiL</a><br/>— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1226674969163120643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p>"Jeff Bezos is so rich, he got divorced and he's still the richest man in the world!" Rock said. "He saw 'Marriage Story' and thought it was a comedy," he added, about the Oscar-nominated movie starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.The camera caught Bezos laughing along before Rock and Martin wrapped things up.<br/></p><p>"Steve do you have anything you want to add about Mr. Bezos?" Rock asked.</p><p>"No, I like getting my packages on time," Martin said.</p><p>Bezos is a semi-regular at film and television awards events these days, thanks to the strength of offerings from Amazon Studios.</p><p>Amazon got one Oscar nomination this year, for <a href="https://twitter.com/AmazonStudios/status/1216717663491117058" target="_blank">"Les Miserables,"</a> a French film competing in the Best International Feature category. Amazon <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2017/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-gets-shout-jimmy-kimmel-camera-time-oscars/" target="_blank">won three Oscars</a> in 2017 — a first for a streaming service.</p><p>This story originally <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/jeff-bezos-rich-amazon-ceo-called-multiple-jokes-opening-oscars/" target="_blank">appeared on GeekWire</a>. </p>
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