Seattle City Council Appeals to Bezos Over Subcontracted Amazon Security

Along with upsetting investors by reporting a quarterly loss, Amazon drew some unwelcome attention this week from hometown politicians. In a letter to Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, Seattle’s nine city council members declared themselves “deeply concerned” over alleged mistreatment of subcontracted security workers who patrol the company’s headquarters there.

At issue are claims by the Service Employees International Union that Security Industry Specialists, a California-based firm contracted by Amazon and other tech companies, illegally punished workers for trying to organize and discouraged them from talking about the union. “As one of Seattle’s largest employers,” the council members wrote, “we ask that Amazon take full responsibility for ensuring a respect for human rights and national labor law on behalf of your direct and subcontracted employees alike.” That letter follows meetings between council members and pro-union SIS workers, and an unanswered June letter to Amazon from Seattle’s Human Rights Commission.