Amazon employees say they've been warned about speaking out on climate change

Maren Costa says she’s been proud to work for Amazon for 15 years. So she says she was surprised when she was warned that she could be fired for speaking out about the company’s policies on climate change.

“I’ve always thought of Amazon as a place where healthy debate is always welcomed, and I’ve never had any fear of doing that here,” Costa told KUOW.

Costa showed KUOW an email she received from a company attorney. It states that she could be dismissed for speaking publicly about the policies.

Another employee, Jamie Kowalski, an Amazon software developer, also confirmed to the Washington Post that he received a similar email.

The email to Costa states that Amazon learned that she and another employee authored a statement provided to the Washington Post on Oct. 10, 2019. It further states that it "constitutes communications in a public forum in which you are identified as an Amazon employee speaking about Amazon's business."

It concludes that after an investigation into the matter "you did not knowingly violate the External Communications policy. Therefore, you will not receive formal corrective action at this time."

"Future violations of the policy," however, may warrant such corrective action, it states. Costa is encouraged to review the the company policy anytime she considers speaking about Amazon's business in a public forum.

Costa and Kowalski co-filed a resolution to the annual shareholders’ meeting last spring which called for Amazon to create a company-wide climate plan. Shareholders rejected the proposal.

Employee Emily Cunningham presented that resolution to shareholders then, and also has spoken out in public about the company’s environmental policies. She confirmed to KUOW that she was told in a meeting that she had violated the company’s external communications policy.

All three workers are leaders of the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice. They’ve been calling on the company to take steps to reduce its carbon footprint.

Last year, the group noted that Amazon has committed to making half of its shipments net zero for carbon in 2030. But the group also said that doesn’t go far enough. They want Amazon Web Services to stop helping fossil fuel companies in their discovery and extraction of oil and gal.

Amazon said in a statement that “our policy regarding external communications is not new and we believe is similar to other large companies.” Amazon said employees are urged to suggest improvements through "internal channels."