Torrie Washington

At Amazon, speed mattered more than safety. I injured my back pushing and pulling heavy carts across the warehouse and onto the tarmac. I was expected to move around 200 packages an hour. I wasn’t allowed to slow down or take breaks when I became tired.

When I reported my injury, AmCare gave me an ice pack. HR wasn’t available because I worked overnight, and I was told to come back in the morning.

Amazon said I was on “light duty,” but I was still assigned work that required pushing and pulling excessive weight. My injury got worse. Shortly after, I was terminated. Then Amazon denied workers’ compensation, claiming I didn’t report the injury the same day, and that there was no light-duty work available. This has left me with ongoing pain, lost income, and anxiety from being ignored, overworked, and retaliated against for speaking up. My experience at Amazon taught me that the company prioritizes speed over safety.