Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Tuesday called for a federal investigation of e-retail behemoth Amazon in the wake of The New York Times report of its mishandling of workers' benefits.
In a statement, Rubio said President Joe Biden and the Department of Labor should look into the world's fifth largest company after it "seemed to acknowledge" it was shortchanging vulnerable workers on leave.
Workers have been fired due to faulty attendance software and struggled to return to work amid a backed-up and confusing human resources system, the Times reported.
"For too long, massive companies headquartered in America have taken advantage of our laws to the detriment of working men and women," Rubio stated. "We cannot allow that to continue."
He also referenced his own past issue with Amazon. In February, Rubio, and fellow Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos complaining about censorship of conservative books.
"There are plenty of American businesses that are loyal to our country, respect their employees and want the best for their communities, but Amazon is not one of them," Rubio stated in his new attack.
"The company has more than enough resources to be the country's self-appointed woke censor — banning conservative books and blocking traditional charities from participating in its AmazonSmile program — but apparently not enough to properly administer benefits owed to its employees."
"Amazon does not deserve the benefit of the doubt, which is why I am calling on President Biden to investigate these claims," he continued. "For too long, massive companies headquartered in America have taken advantage of our laws to the detriment of working men and women. We cannot allow that to continue."
Rubio made similar arguments in a commentary, throwing his support behind a unionization movement at a Bessemer, Alabama, Amazon warehouse.
That election is likely to be re-run after a local National Labor Relations Board officer determined Amazon had interfered in the vote by pushing for the installation of a mailbox in front of the building during the mail-in election, The Hill reported.
The Hill noted Rubio opposes the PRO Act, a sweeping labor reform bill that passed the House that supporters say would shift the advantage during NLRB elections away from employers to workers.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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