Amazon faces bias complaint over worker testimony

What happened

Patrick Schloesser, Darius Irani, and Liesl Wigand—Amazon software engineers and members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice—testified at Seattle City Council hearings in early June in favor of data center regulations. One week later and one day after the Council passed a moratorium on large-scale data centers, each was called into an impromptu meeting with Amazon's Employee Relations department. HR representatives told them the company was investigating them and said there could be disciplinary action, up to and including termination. On Thursday, the three filed a legal complaint requesting that the Seattle Office for Civil Rights investigate the matter, alleging employment discrimination.

Why it matters

Seattle law prohibits private employers from discriminating against employees based on political beliefs and speech. The employees identified themselves only by their roles and AECJ membership—not as official Amazon spokespersons—when they testified. Amazon's corporate communications policy bans acting as a spokesperson without preapproval, but the employees say their testimony was personal political speech, not corporate representation. If the retaliation is found unlawful, it could set a precedent about how much companies can investigate or threaten employees for exercising protected civic participation.

What to watch

The Seattle Office for Civil Rights will investigate the allegations. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The data center moratorium itself is now in effect—a one-year pause on new large-scale proposals while the city considers legislation to award more benefits and research data center effects on land use, public health, water use, jobs, and utility rates.