US District Judge Brian Cogan in Brooklyn rejected Amazon's
claim that Attorney General Letitia James acted in bad faith by trying to
police its pandemic response, and stop its alleged retaliation against workers
who were unhappy the company wasn't doing more.
"The state has a legitimate interest in ensuring that
employers are complying with state labour laws, are enforcing important health
safety measures, and are sanctioned for illegal conduct that occurs within the
state," Judge Cogan wrote.
Amazon has argued that federal health and labour laws
preempted James' oversight.
The Seattle-based company had no immediate comment on Judge
Cogan's decision.
Morgan Rubin, a spokeswoman for Ms James, said in an email:
"We applaud this decision and look forward to continuing our litigation
against Amazon in state court and protecting our workers."
Ms James sued Amazon in February over its treatment of
thousands of workers at a Staten Island fulfillment center and a Queens
distribution centre.
She has accused Amazon of prioritising profits over safety,
and improperly disciplining two employees who protested working conditions, one
of whom was fired.
Ms James is seeking a court-appointed safety monitor, while
Amazon is seeking to dismiss her case, which is pending in a state court in
Manhattan.
The seven-day average Covid-19 positivity test rate on
Monday was 3.68 per cent in Staten Island and 2.61 per cent in Queens. The New
York City average was 2.60 per cent. -Reuters
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