Senate Democrats Tell Amazon to End Contracts That Allegedly Exploit Drivers

Amazon should stop working with contractors that “violate labor laws” and instead “promote standards that protect its drivers and ensure public safety,” three Democratic senators wrote CEO Jeff Bezos Thursday. Citing recent reports, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut; Sherrod Brown, Ohio; and Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts, accused Amazon of using delivery standards that impose “unfair and dangerous conditions upon the delivery companies and the drivers who deliver its packages.” The company’s network of third-party contractors allows it to circumvent Transportation Department “oversight and legal accountability for the treatment of drivers in its delivery network,” they wrote. They cited unsafe working conditions and accidents involving delivery contractors. The company didn’t comment.