NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- An investigation by a federal labor agency found Amazon illegally fired a Staten Island warehouse who organized a demonstration in the spring over the e-commerce giant's safety policies amid the pandemic.
According to VICE's Motherboard, an investigation by the National Labor Relations Board found merit to a complaint that Amazon illegally retaliated against Gerald Bryson, who was fired shortly after leading a protest outside the Staten Island fulfillment center on April 6.
A week before that demonstration, Bryson had taken part in a protest on March 30 that was led by another worker, Christian Smalls, who was also fired by Amazon.
Lisa Levandowski, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement to 1010 WINS, "We believe the facts of this case are clear: Mr. Bryson was witnessed by other employees bullying and intimidating a female associate in a racially and sexually charged way – a clear violation of our standards of conduct and harassment policy. Bryson also admitted to his actions. We look forward to sharing the facts on this case before an administrative law judge should the NLRB issue a Complaint. Perhaps the larger question is why the NLRB is defending a person who screamed profanities and racial slurs at a fellow employee."
Amazon can settle with Bryson, who could receive back pay or reinstatement, or the case could proceed to a hearing before an administrative judge, according to the report.
"I feel justified, I feel exonerated. It's great to know that some parts of the system still work," Bryson told VICE. "I know I was fired for organizing at Amazon and the NLRB agrees. I started this fight for my fellow employees, for my brothers and sisters. I stood up for a safe and healthy environment, which Amazon did not provide."
Amazon didn't immediately respond to VICE's request for comment.
Earlier this year, Amazon told CNET that Bryson was fired for demeaning a fellow employee during the April protest.
"We respect the rights of employees to protest and recognize their legal right to do so, but these rights do not provide blanket immunity against bad actions, including those that harass, discriminate against or intimidate another employee," a spokesperson told CNET.
The company said Smalls was fired for violating "a company-mandated and paid quarantine order," according to CNET.
