Amazon: ‘No Evidence’ Illinois Warehouse Death Was Work-Related

Glenn Taylor
·4 min read

An Amazon worker died Friday at a cross-dock facility in Joliet, Ill., but the e-commerce giant denies a labor rights organization’s claim that the death was related to unsafe temperature inside the warehouse.

No details about the incident or the victim have been released. The Joliet Police Department did not immediately respond to Sourcing Journal’s request for more information.

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An Amazon spokesperson told Sourcing Journal that the death wasn’t the result of work or any of the tasks the employee was performing but was a non-work-related medical incident.

“Our thoughts are with his loved ones and our team at the site,” said Amazon spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel. “We’ve made counseling services available for team members who may want them and we’ll continue to support them in the days and weeks ahead. There is no evidence that this unfortunate incident was related to tasks the employee was performing as part of his standard work in our climate-controlled facility that did not exceed 77 degrees [Fahrenheit].”

While no one has officially confirmed the worker’s cause of death, Jeff Schuhrke, an assistant professor at the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies, SUNY Empire State College, tweted that workers allegedly reported “sweltering” heat inside the logistics facility.

The death marks the second at an Amazon warehouse so far this year. In Indiana, a Fort Wayne warehouse employee struck his head on an overhead conveyor belt system while driving a one-man lift underneath it to clear a jam. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) is currently investigating that incident.

In 2022, four Amazon employees died on the job at company warehouses, with a fifth worker dying days after a forklift crash.

“The safety and health of workers in our community should always be a top priority,” said Joliet City councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra in a statement, stressing the importance of addressing heat-related hazards in warehouses . “Summer heat waves pose a particular risk to the warehouse workers that make our economy move and it’s up to us to ensure their safety in the workplace.”

Warehouse Workers for Justice (WWJ), a Joliet-based organization dedicated to advocating for fair wages, safe working conditions and workers’ rights within the warehouse industry, said it was “closely monitoring” the developing situation with local officials.

In a statement issued Saturday, WWJ said it was committed to investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensuring the safety and well-being of workers in the area.

Amazon says that MDW2 workers have access to more than 60 water coolers throughout the building, while temperatures in the climate-controlled facility are constantly monitored.

After a death at a New Jersey warehouse last summer, Amazon made enhancements to the facility’s air conditioner. Amazon said at the time that the death wasn’t work-related and that the upgrade was not related to the incident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated this incident and closed the investigation without any citations or hazard alerts, meaning they didn’t find work contributed to the individual’s death.

“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones affected by this devastating loss. Warehouse Workers for Justice will continue to closely monitor the situation and advocate for improved safety measures and accountability within the industry,” said Marcos Ceniceros, WWJ executive director, in a statement. “No worker should ever worry about making it home at the end of their shift. It is critical that there be a comprehensive investigation and that any safety issues that led to this tragedy be resolved swiftly through the implementation of new worker safety policies.”

The Joliet facility is one of a handful in the U.S. where employees are getting vocal about labor rights.

Last month, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued five complaints against Amazon across nine warehouses, including the MDW2 facility, claiming that the tech titan enforced an unlawful “off-duty access” rule that banned employees from its facilities when not reporting for a shift.

Employees staged two walkouts at the distribution center in as many months. The first came disrupted Amazon’s Prime Early Access event, when workers at both MDW2 and neighboring MDW4 rallied for causes including a base pay rate increase from $19 to $25 an hour. The employees also sent Amazon CEO Andy Jassy a petition demanding a workplace “safe from violence, injury and sexual harassment.”

Last May, racist death threats were found in the facility’s bathroom, with some staff alleging that management did nothing in response.

Amazon workers walked out again during Cyber Monday, protesting pay and workplace safety.

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