Amazon Investigates 3 Workers for Data Center Policy Advocacy
Original: 3 Amazon Workers Say They’re Under Investigation for Speaking Out About Data Centers
Why This Matters
Highlights tension between tech worker organizing, free speech protections, and corporate retaliation concerns in major tech hubs.
Three Amazon software engineers filed a civil rights complaint after being placed under internal investigation for publicly urging Seattle City Council to regulate data centers. They claim retaliation for expressing political beliefs.
Earlier this month, five Amazon employees publicly advocated to Seattle City Council for data center regulations. Three of these workers—Darius Irani, Liesel Wigand, and Patrick Schloesser—were subsequently called into separate virtual meetings with Amazon employee relations staff last Wednesday and informed they were under investigation for allegedly representing themselves as company spokespeople without approval. The employees deny this characterization, with Schloesser calling the claim "patently absurd." They filed a joint complaint Thursday with Seattle's Office for Civil Rights, alleging Amazon illegally retaliated against them for expressing personal political opinions outside of work. Under Seattle law, private employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees based on their political beliefs and organizational affiliations. The workers were told the investigation could take one to two weeks and may result in termination. Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan previously stated the company respects employees' rights to voice opinions and aims to be a responsible community steward. The Seattle Office for Civil Rights and Amazon have not responded to requests for comment.