Amazon News: E-Commerce Giant Extends $2 Hourly Pay Raise Through May, But Worker Concerns Remain

E-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN) said Tuesday that it is extending its $2 hourly pay raise for employees through May, but workers are still raising concerns about the company’s labor practices amid the pandemic. Double overtime pay would also be extended in the United States and Canada.

"These extensions increase our total investment in pay during COVID-19 to nearly $800 million for our hourly employees and partners," Amazon spokesperson Timothy Carter told The Hill.

The company has seen a rise in demand, as people stay home due to the coronavirus. Multiple workers have criticized Amazon for its warehouse safety practices, while a group of state attorneys general have demanded the company disclose how many warehouse and Whole Foods employees have died or been infected by the virus.

Unofficial tallies indicate that four Amazon workers have died from the coronavirus, along with two Whole Foods employees.

An Amazon executive has previously said the number of infected employees is not “useful” as “it’s relative to the size of the building and then the overall community infection rate.”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ net worth has grown by at least $24 billion during the crisis. Bezos said the company would spend $4 billion in profit during the second fiscal quarter to make sure the e-commerce giant is “getting products to customers and keeping employees safe.”