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A fatal accident at Amazon’s JFK8 fulfilment centre in Staten Island has reignited questions around workplace safety protocols at the retail giant.
The incident resulted in the death of 34-year-old Leony Salcedo-Chevalier, a subcontracted worker and father of two. He was struck by a box truck while it reversed into the loading dock.
Salcedo-Chevalier was taken to Richmond University Medical Center but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. According to preliminary accounts, he was in the driver’s blind spot at the time of the incident. The truck driver was also employed by a subcontractor.
The incident prompted a temporary shutdown of the facility until the following afternoon. Workers later secured additional payment.
Worker anger over safety measures
Although the local Amazon Labor Union formally sanctioned the walkout, employee accounts suggest that the decision to halt operations stemmed from a spontaneous outpouring of frustration. Multiple workers cited longstanding grievances about the company’s approach to health and safety.
“There’s a culture of individual blame, where safety compliance is reduced to reminders about footwear or vests,” said one JFK8 worker. “Meanwhile, critical systemic issues, like vehicle movement around personnel, go unaddressed.”
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Others noted the absence of higher-grade protective equipment.
“At other companies like Costco, they use flashing vests so drivers can detect movement even in blind spots. We don’t have those here,” another employee commented.
Reports from workers at a nearby Amazon sorting facility, LDJ5, suggest the same night saw another potentially fatal incident involving unsecured cargo. “If someone had been standing at that gate, they would’ve been crushed,” said one LDJ5 worker.
Union struggles and leadership vacuum
The tragedy also exposes underlying tensions between the workforce and the evolving role of the ALU. After a high-profile victory in 2022 that made JFK8 the first unionised Amazon warehouse in the US, the ALU has struggled to maintain momentum. Internal disputes, financial instability, and a lack of contract progress have eroded confidence among employees.
The union’s merger with the Teamsters in 2023 has yet to yield significant change. Despite ALU-IBT’s affiliation with a larger national body, workers remain without a ratified contract or a clear strategy to address ongoing safety issues.
The death at JFK8 underlined a critical HR challenge for Amazon and similarly structured firms that rely on subcontracted labour for high-risk tasks.
For senior HR leaders, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for consistent safety standards across all tiers of employment and a more proactive model of workplace engagement. When fatalities are met with spontaneous shutdowns, it signals not just trauma and grief, but a breakdown in organizational trust.
