Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos rejected the request to discuss revenue inequality issues before the Senate Budget Committee, CNBC confirmed.
Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, invited Bezos to appear before the committee as part of a hearing on revenue inequality scheduled for March 17.
Bezos faced criticism from Sanders and other lawmakers for his work practices during the coronavirus pandemic, including cessation of pay for front-line workers, while Amazon was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic-fueled e-commerce boom. .
“I invited Jeff Bezos to testify before the Budget Committee next week to explain to the American people why he thinks it is appropriate for him to spend a lot of money denying the economic dignity of Amazon workers, while he has become richer by $ 78 billion during the pandemic, “Sanders wrote in a tweet.
Sanders is a frequent critic of Amazon and has previously analyzed the company for pay gaps between its senior executives and employees who choose, package and deliver packages to customers’ doors. Following criticism from Sanders and other labor lawyers, Amazon in 2018 announced that it will increase its minimum wage to $ 15 per hour.
An Amazon spokesman told CNBC in a statement that the company supports Sanders’ efforts to raise the federal minimum wage. “We fully support Senator Sanders’ efforts to reduce income inequality with legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $ 15 per hour for all workers, as we did for ours in 2018,” the spokesman said.
Sanders also expressed support for workers at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, who are currently voting to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store. The effort also received approval from several Democratic lawmakers, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and President Joe Biden.
Amazon strongly opposed the unionization effort. Last month, he held mandatory meetings with workers at the Bessemer unit, declaring the case against unionization. The company also created a website that required workers to “do it tax-free.”