Statement by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer on Jeff Bezos Stepping Down as Amazon CEO

“Since the earliest days of the pandemic, the New York City Pension Funds have called for transparency regarding Amazon’s efforts to protect workers’ health and safety amid the rise of COVID-19. There is a massive disconnect between what Amazon management says it’s doing to keep workers safe and what those workers are reporting — and investors have a right to information concerning Amazon’s business practices and the success of the company’s efforts to protect its workforce.

“However,  Amazon’s Independent Directors have been unresponsive to repeated attempts at engagement, and the company recently took action to attempt to block a shareholder vote on our proposal for employee health and safety reporting.

“The announcement that Jeff Bezos will step down as Amazon CEO and take on the role of Executive Chairman only reinforces the Board’s status quo of obfuscation and utter dependence on management. Amazon’s workers and shareholders deserve strong, impartial Board leadership and a scientifically driven approach to employee safety that serves as a model for retail and e-commerce.

“I again urge the Amazon Board of Directors to report on how they are independently overseeing the progress of COVID-19 initiatives and ensure that these investments are actually keeping employees safe.”

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