3 Amazon Employees Reportedly Being Investigated for Talking About Data Centers

Earlier this month, five current Amazon employees lobbied the Seattle City Council data center management. It was an unprecedented move to galvanize tech workers, and now three of the employees say they are now being investigated internally for what they feel are posing as spokespeople for the company without permission. One of the workers involved, Patrick Schloesser, said: “It’s a ridiculous claim. It’s nonsense.”

The three software engineers, who work in different divisions of Amazon and are all based in Seattle, believe they are being harassed for expressing their political beliefs. They filed a joint complaint Thursday with the Seattle Office of Civil Rights, according to staff and filings seen by WIRED. They accused Amazon of attempting to intimidate and retaliate against the law for expressing their views outside of the duty required to regulate the environmental and social conditions of the data center.

“Seattle is one of the few jurisdictions in the country that prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees based on their political beliefs and affiliations,” said Abby Lawlor, an attorney at Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt who is advising the workers. “Here, we have the legal tools to fight back and ensure that tech workers can be democratic participants in important local discussions. We hope the city of Seattle will do its part to ensure that this important Seattle law is enforced.”

Amazon and the Seattle office of civil rights did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Margaret Callahan, an Amazon spokeswoman, was previously reported by WIRED that the company respects the right of employees to express their opinions and that it strives to be a responsible manager in the communities in which it operates.

Amazon employees took to the city’s lectern to advocate for various laws that Seattle is considering for data centers. Amazon does not have a data center in the city, but several other companies have plans for new services.

The employees who are said to be under investigation – Darius Irani, Liesel Wigand, and Schloesser – have told WIRED that they were each invited to virtual meetings with an Amazon employee last Wednesday. He was told that the investigation could take a week or two and has received no updates so far, other than being told to use a speaker registration form that he thinks fits his claims. Schloesser remembers being told the investigation could be dismissed.

The three workers argue that Amazon has a way of trying to stop the work together with the workers, including on its databasesand avoiding public criticism of data centers by using confidentiality agreements and other means to protect projects from scrutiny. The affected employees say they have received many messages of support from colleagues and no internal opposition, except in meetings with HR.

In remarks during public comment at three city meetings this month, the workers identified themselves as members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group of thousands of employees and former employees of the company. long period of stimulation so that the company can effectively fulfill its role in supporting climate change.

The employees did not say they were speaking on behalf of the company, which, to their knowledge, has not commented on the details involved. Two other Amazon employees who spoke at city council meetings later said they had not been notified that they were being investigated.