These are trying times, by any standard. This veteran of Iraq is starting to have war flash backs. If your employer is not taking precautions for the coronavirus, can you as an employee do anything about it? Yes, any worker can discuss with another worker any “term and condition” of the  job. That protection comes from Sec. 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. I previously wrote about that protection here. So, yes any two or more workers can discuss the lack of protections at work.

Yet, Amazon fired an employee who spoke openly at its New York warehouse about inadequate protections at work. See New York Post report here. Chris Smalls lead a walk-out at the Amazon warehouse on Staten Island. Amazon admits it fired Chris Smalls, a management assistant. But, the employer claims it fired him because he was not observing social distancing. But, it was just last week that workers walked out of the warehouse over concerns after a co-worker tested positive for COVID-19. Mr. Smalls was then fired the following Monday. Mr. Smalls was one of the leaders of that walk-out. The National Labor Relations Board will very likely investigate. Just based on timing alone, Amazon will have a very difficult case. Mr. Smalls had worked at the warehouse for five years before he was fired.

As we used to say in Iraq, Be Safe.