State attorney general Xavier Becerra filed a petition
calling on a California judge to order the e-commerce colossus to provide the
information being sought, according to his office.
"It's critical to know if these workers are receiving
the protections on the job that they are entitled to under the law,"
Becerra said, referring to Amazon employees in California.
"Amazon has delayed responding adequately to our
investigative requests long enough."
The petition to the court argues that the e-commerce giant
has not provided information being sought as part of an investigation into
Amazon's coronavirus protocols and the status of COVID-19 cases at its
facilities.
Subpoenas were issued by the California department of
justice four months ago, according to Becerra.
"We're puzzled by the Attorney General's sudden rush to
court because we've been working cooperatively for months and their claims of
noncompliance with their demands don't line up with the facts," Amazon
said in response to an AFP inquiry.
"The bottom line is that we're a leader in providing
COVID-19 safety measures for our employees – we've invested billions of dollars
in equipment and technology, including building on-site testing for employees
and providing personal protective equipment."
Information sought by state attorneys included Amazon sick
leave policies and cleaning procedures, as well as raw data on the number of
infections and deaths at their facilities in the state.
Seattle-based Amazon has seen sales, and pressure on its
logistics network to deliver, soar during the pandemic as people shop online to
reduce health risk.