2 Amazon centers have yet to open in Pasco. Is a safety dispute in Western WA to blame?
Amazon Inc. remains committed to opening its two idle fulfillment centers in east Pasco, but the Seattle e-commerce giant still can’t say when that will happen.
“The facilities in Pasco are included in our plans and remain an integral part of our future in Washington,” Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesman told the Herald this week. “While we don’t have launch timelines to share at this time, progress is being made at each facility and we’re looking forward to working with our local partners to hire 1,500 people.”
The Tri-City Herald asked for an update on the status of the Pasco facilities after a legal dispute between Amazon and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries over allegations of unsafe working conditions at fulfillment centers in the Puget Sound area went before the state’s Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals in July.
Workplace safety complaints
The L&I dispute centers on four citations against Amazon for conditions at fulfillment centers in Kent, DuPont and Sumner between 2021 and 2022.
Amazon countered by suing the state, claiming it violated its Fourteenth Amendment right to due process. The outcome could affect how Amazon warehouses operate in Washington.
Amazon officials insist the status of the Pasco warehouses is unconnected to the legal proceedings on the west side of the state.
In a statement, Amazon said the L&I dispute has nothing to do with the launch timelines for the Pasco centers, which each have more than one million square feet.
The company said it is not standing still in its home state, citing the pending opening of a new fulfillment center in Arlington, north of Everett on the Interstate 5 corridor, in coming weeks.
East Pasco warehouses
Ryan Companies of Bellevue broke ground on the two massive buildings in Pasco, code named “Project Oyster” and “Project Pearl” in 2021, shortly before Amazon confirmed they would be Amazon facilities to fill online orders.
One would fill orders for household goods, the other for larger items such as pet gear, baby strollers, outdoor furniture and sporting goods. At the time, it anticipated hiring workers in 2022. It later idled the two buildings as part of a larger pause on the company’s rapid expansion.
The buildings flank South Road 40 East, north of Sacajawea State Heritage Park, near Highway 12.
Construction appeared to wrap up in 2022. The city of Pasco issued occupancy permits for both on April 28, 2023.
As fulfillment centers, the two warehouses are expected to employ about 1,500.
As of spring 2023, Amazon operated 1,285 facilities of varying sizes and missions in the U.S., and 2,373 worldwide.
It has nearly 600 million square feet dedicated to fulfilling orders, according to an unofficial tally maintained by MWPVL International for informational purposes.
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