Three Amazon software engineers — Patrick Schloesser, Darius Irani, and Liesl Wigand — testified at Seattle City Council hearings earlier this month about data centers, opening their remarks by citing a city law barring employment discrimination over political speech. One week after the hearing, and one day after the City Council passed a milestone one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers, the three were each called into an impromptu meeting with Amazon's Employee Relations on June 10th. HR representatives told the employees the company was investigating them and that disciplinary action, up to and including termination, was possible.
On Thursday, the three filed a legal complaint asking the Seattle Office for Civil Rights to investigate, alleging Amazon engaged in prohibited employment discrimination. "I am unwilling to accept a reality in which Amazon or any corporation can silence me in exercising my rights," Schloesser told The Verge.
Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan said the company is investigating whether company policies were violated and may or may not take action, while disputing the characterization that Amazon had plans in place to fire the employees or told them they were at risk of termination. Callahan added that Amazon "don't tolerate retaliatory behavior." The Seattle moratorium tables new large-scale data center proposals while the council considers legislation to study effects on land use, public health, water use, jobs, utility rates, and city infrastructure.