On November 17th, the House Committee on Education and Workforce’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled: “Unsafe and Untenable: Examining Workplace Protections for Warehouse Workers.” The hearing featured testimony from worker protection organizations including the Warehouse Worker Resource Center and the Strategic Organizing Center as well as an individual who lost a family member in a warehouse accident. Much of the focus of the hearing related to Amazon and the injury and illness rates being reported by the company. Witnesses also recommended that increased unionization would improve safety in warehouses. There was one witness from a Washington, DC law firm that provided more of an employer perspective and cited that overall accident rates for the warehouse industry have gone down, despite large growth in the sector. Refrigerated warehouses were not specifically discussed during the hearing. A video recording of the hearing can be found by clicking HERE.
