American multinational technology company Amazon has denied that its workers urinate in plastic bottles before apologizing for the “incorrect” stance.
E-commerce giant got tangled in a Twitter row with Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan last week after he brought attention to the issue that some Amazon workers and drivers have to urinate in bottle over work pressure.
Amazon’s apology to @repmarkpocan ends with a list of news stories about other companies whose workers have to pee in bottles. That’s an interesting kicker to an apology. https://t.co/lZ4ZOUhMN3
— Dave Jamieson (@jamieson) April 3, 2021
The executives of the company, based in Seattle, Washington, have been aware of the issue, according to findings by The Intercept.
"You don't really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us,” read a tweet on Amazon's official account.
Amazon admitted it lied when it had insisted its truckers never need to pee into bottles on the job. “This is an industry-wide issue and not specific to Amazon,” said an Amazon spokesman. “Except, y’know, the lying.”
— Al Franken (@alfranken) April 4, 2021
It was a response to Pocan’s criticism of the company and his mentioning of the issue.
"Paying workers $15/hr doesn't make you a 'progressive workplace' when you union-bust & make workers urinate in water bottles," the Wisconsin Democrat tweeted, in an apparent reference to Amazon's opposition to efforts to unionize a major facility in Alabama.
NEW: Amazon's pee situation is much, much worse for its women drivers. I spoke to six women who pee in trash bags, fast for hours to avoid peeing, and purchase 'she-wees.' https://t.co/p2Xwj7gmYl
— Lauren Kaori Gurley (@LaurenKGurley) April 1, 2021
Several Amazon employees have spoken up about having little choice but to use plastic bottles.
"We owe an apology to Representative Pocan," Amazon said in a statement. "The tweet was incorrect. It did not contemplate our large driver population and instead wrongly focused only on our fulfillment centers," each of which, it said, had dozens of restrooms that employees could use "at any time."
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