The California Senate voted to regulate warehouse performance metrics, approving the first legislation in the nation that will require companies such as Amazon to disclose productivity quotas at their warehouses, among other standards meant to make warehouse work safer.
AB 701, which faced fierce opposition from business interests, passed the Senate on a 26-11 vote. The proposal seeks to address safety concerns in Amazon fulfillment centers across the state, where workers experience high injury rates related to closely tracked productivity goals.
The bill will face a final “concurrence” vote in the Assembly, usually a procedural step, before heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for signature.
Caitlin Vega, a lobbyist who supported the bill, called the vote a “historic victory” for Amazon workers, with national implications because California often sets the precedent for other states with major legislative efforts.
Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The California Chamber of Commerce, representing retailers and other industries, spent months lobbying against AB 701. It initially placed the bill on its “job killer” list, a tool relatively effective at hindering or killing legislation. But the chamber backed down and removed AB 701 from the list after proponents of the bill clarified or cut some of its provisions.
As amended, the bill would require warehouse employers such as Amazon to disclose productivity quotas for workers. It would prohibit any quota that prevents workers from taking state-mandated breaks or using the bathroom when needed, or that keeps employers from complying with health and safety laws.
The effort behind the bill came as Amazon has faced heightened scrutiny for its treatment of workers during the pandemic.
Labor advocates including the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters backed the legislation. The Teamsters union has been quietly laying the groundwork for such an effort over the last few years. It recently passed a resolution committing the union to providing “all resources necessary” for a nationwide push to organize hundreds of thousands of Amazon warehouse and delivery workers.
Newsom’s office declined to comment on whether the governor plans to sign or veto the bill should it ultimately land on his desk.
