Amazon fires walkout leader; AG calls for investigation

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New York's Attorney General wants a closer look into Amazon employee's termination

New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling for an investigation of Amazon after a warehouse employee was terminated after he took part in a staged walkout at Amazon's Staten Island, New York facility.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling for an investigation of Amazon, after the online shopping giant fired an employee who staged a walkout in Staten Island.

Christian Smalls was protesting what he believed were poor working conditions during the coronavirus outbreak after a co-worker tested positive.

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“It is disgraceful that Amazon would terminate an employee who bravely stood up to protect himself and his colleagues," James said in a statement. "At the height of a global pandemic, Chris Smalls and his colleagues publicly protested the lack of precautions that Amazon was taking to protect them from COVID-19."

James noted that New Yorkers have a right to organize, and retaliation by an employer "is strictly prohibited."

In response, she said her office is exploring legal options, and she called for the National Labor Relations Board to investigate the matter.

James also pointed to the timing of the firing, as people are struggling in an economy that has been significantly hampered due to the pandemic.

"At a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling and are deeply concerned about their safety, this action was also immoral and inhumane," she said.

Fox News reached out to Amazon for comment on James' call for an investigation. While they did not comment on this development, a spokesperson did say in a statement that Smalls had violated the terms of his employment, including leaving a paid quarantine to participate in the protest. They also said Smalls had "received multiple warnings for violating social distancing guidelines."

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Smalls had been on quarantine after being in contact with an infected co-worker.

"Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite today, March 30, further putting the teams at risk," the spokesperson said. "This is unacceptable and we have terminated his employment as a result of these multiple safety issues."

Smalls himself said he was not surprised by Amazon's response.

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"As usual, Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe," he said, claiming that he and his colleagues will continue to speak out, and "won’t stop until Amazon provides real protections for our health and safety."

Amazon has claimed that they have taken "extreme measures" to clean their facilities and have safety gear available. They also noted that only 15 out of 5,000 employees at the Staten Island facility participated in Monday's demonstration.

Fox Business Network's Ken Martin contributed to this report.