OSHA Must First Hear Amazon Employees’ COVID-19 Claims, N.Y. Federal Judge Rules

NEW YORK — A New York federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing Amazon of failing to take adequate measures to protect its workers against the COVID-19 virus, ruling that the claims should first be heard by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In a Nov. 2 order, Judge Brian Cogan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York explained that the lawsuit involves the regulation of workplace safety standards, which is within OSHA’s expertise. The agency should therefore be “given the first opportunity to evaluate the wisdom and necessity of such …