An Arizona bill that would shield warehouse workers in the state from “dangerous quotas” has gained the support of the Teamsters Union, even as several other states have already passed similar legislation.
Specifically, Arizona House Bill 2682 would create transparency around dangerous quotas in warehouses and ensure unrealistic work conditions do not interfere with legally protected breaks for workers, the Teamsters said.
The bill has currently been assigned to the Arizona House Rules Committee and awaits a hearing. Similar warehouse worker protection bills have already been passed in California, Minnesota, New York, and Washington.
“The Teamsters and workers across Arizona are grateful to State Representative Oscar De Los Santos for introducing this vital piece of legislation,” said Dawn Schumann, Local 104 Political Director. “This bill will save warehouse workers’ lives and protect workers from being treated like cogs in a machine by corporate giants like Amazon. We urge the Arizona House to swiftly pass this bill, and for the State Senate to do the same.”
While the bill would apply to warehouse workers regardless of their employer, the Teamsters are specifically pushing back on the e-commerce giant Amazon, which operates 17 fulfillment and sortation centers and 13 delivery stations in Arizona, employing some 33,000 full- and part-time employees, according to published reports.
Amazon has also come under scrutiny in recent weeks from regulators in France, who fined the company for using “excessively intrusive” warehouse labor software. Amazon has disputed that ruling, calling it factually incorrect and saying that warehouse management systems are industry standard.
Amazon did not reply to a request for comment.
