Amazon Apologizes For Tweet Amid Claims That Its Workers Pee In Bottles

Amazon.com, Inc AMZN has issued an apology to Wisconsin congressman Mark Pocan over the issue of workers peeing into bottles.

What Happened: Amazon apologized for a tweet it posted on March 24 in response

Pocan, who said the company makes "workers urinate in water bottles."

The company responded by saying, "You don’t really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us."On Friday, Amazon said this was a mistake: "This was an own-goal, we’re unhappy about it, and we owe an apology to Representative Pocan."

The apology goes on to deny that its fulfillment centers have problems with workers and restroom breaks, while acknowledging that its drivers may have trouble finding restrooms "because of traffic or sometimes rural routes" especially during the pandemic.

"This is a long-standing, industry-wide issue and is not specific to Amazon," the company said.

Why It Matters: The March 24 tweet was met with quick criticism, and the apology isn't faring much better. The Verge criticized it as ungenuine, noting that the apology is to the congressman, not workers, and for claiming the issue only concerns drivers.

Amazon for years has faced accusations that workers are under so much pressure that they forgo bathroom breaks. The complaints have included both warehouse workers and drivers.

The company also is in the middle of a union battle, featuring what could be a landmark vote that has implications not just for Amazon locations, but other tech companies in the U.S. as well. Amazon's Twitter activity on this front also has drawn heat.

Photo: Flickr/Tony Webster