A judge has ruled Amazon must reinstate a former employee who was fired in the early days of the pandemic after leading a protest calling for the company to do more to protect workers against COVID-19.
On Monday, administrative law judge Benjamin Green said Amazon must offer the former worker, Gerald Bryson, his job back, as well as lost wages and benefits resulting from his “discriminatory discharge.”
Bryson led the protest in April of 2020 in front of the Staten Island warehouse that voted to unionize earlier this month.
While off the job during the protest, Bryson got into a dispute with another worker.
Another worker said she wanted to continue working because she was grateful for the extra pay for working during the pandemic.
The two workers exchanged insults, but only Bryson was fired.
The other worker received a written warning
He was later fired for violating Amazon’s vulgar-language policy.
Amazon said it investigated Bryson and his punishment was consistent with how other workers were treated.
Amazon plans to file an appeal with the National Labor Relations Board.