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Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act Signed into Law, Will Protect Thousands of Amazons Workers from Injury New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition celebrates huge win for worker safety

ALBANY, NY – Unions and community organizations from the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition celebrated action today on the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act (S5081C/A8907A), signed into law last night by Governor Hochul. The legislation will go into effect on June 1, 2025 to reduce warehouse injuries in New York, where 1 in 9 workers is hurt on the job every year — more than double the national average.

The signing comes amid the grueling holiday shopping season and as Amazon workers at several facilities in New York City are striking for fair pay, safe work, job security, and more. The coalition behind the bill, which includes ALIGN, Teamsters, National Employment Law Project (NELP) and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), recently released new data showing a 30% increase in injuries in a single year, making warehouse work among the most dangerous jobs in New York. And just last week, a federal Senate investigation revealed that internal Amazon safety teams linked the corporation’s arduous pace of work and repetitive motions to serious injuries yet took no meaningful corrective action.

In June, the Assembly unanimously passed the Act (WWIRA); it passed the Senate by a vote of 52-5. Sponsored by State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry Bronson, the legislation will establish industry-wide safety standards, require annual safety evaluations of large warehouses for hazards and assign fixes, improve training and medical care, and empower the Department of Labor to implement and enforce the law. In addition to keeping workers safe and holding companies like Amazon accountable for job safety, the bill will reduce turnover for employers and ease the burden on the state’s healthcare and workers’ compensation systems.

“With the potential appointment of a former Amazon Executive heading towards the federal Department of Labor, we must shore up worker protections in New York State. After passing the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, Amazon still increased its warehouse footprint and business operations in New York, demonstrating that we do not need to sacrifice a worker’s health and safety for profit,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos (D, SD-13), chair of the Senate Labor Committee.

“The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act being signed into law represents a significant victory for warehouse workers and their right to safety on the job. This victory couldn’t have come at a better time as we head into an uncertain future for America’s workforce, and as Labor Chair, my priority will always be ensuring that warehouses and all job sites enact safety measures that put the health of our workers above profits,” said Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D, AD-138) Chair of Assembly Labor Committee.

“Whether they are fulfilling orders for toilet paper or holiday gifts, New Yorkers rely on warehouse workers for essential items every single day. But as this industry has grown, so has the worker injury rate. That’s why it’s so important that the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act has been signed into law. Corporations like Amazon cut corners when it comes to workers’ health and safety, but this groundbreaking law will create new industry standards ensuring that warehouses are designed with worker safety in mind. Thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Jessica Ramos, and Assemblymember Harry Bronson. Today, we have sent a clear signal to corporations like Amazon: if you want to do business in New York, you must prioritize your employees’ health and safety,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

“With Amazon workers on strike and federal labor rights at risk, it’s the right time for New York to take action to protect warehouse workers. Thanks to Governor Hochul, our sponsor champions, and our tenacious coalition — signing the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act into law is a huge victory for workers and shows companies like Amazon that our state will not stand for anything less than safety on the job. Let this be the start of our journey to go from #1 in warehouse injuries to #1 in safety!” said Theodore A. Moore, Executive Director of ALIGN and leader of the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition.

“The Teamsters have a long history of fighting for good jobs in the warehouse industry. As Amazon Teamsters continue that fight on the picket line, the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act makes New York a national leader in standing up to Amazon’s abusive practices. Thanks to Governor Hochul, Senator Ramos, and Assemblymember Bronson for taking action to protect warehouse workers,” said Thomas Gesualdi, President, Teamsters Joint Council 16.

“The workers at JFK8 have been fighting alongside so many others to get this bill passed for a long time, and it means so much for us to hear it written into law, while we’re out here on our ULP strike pushing Amazon to come to the bargaining table. When they finally meet us to negotiate safety measures are going to be a core priority for us. Amazon prioritizes profit and productivity over our bodies, our health, and our lives, and legislative measures like this help hold the company accountable, alongside the power we’re building here,” said Sultana Hossain, Amazon Labor Union IBT Local 1.

“We have now seen proof that Amazon has ignored its own internal studies warning about worker injuries. Instead of letting the fox guard the hen house, we have to bring independent outside experts into warehouses to issue binding recommendations about how to redesign jobs so that workers are safe. With this law, New York State is breaking new ground in workplace safety. Stronger laws that are well-enforced—combined with greater support for the workers that are organizing for dignity and safety on the job—are crucial to ending the warehouse worker injury crisis,” said Irene Tung, Senior Researcher & Policy Analyst for the National Employment Law Project (NELP).

“The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act is going to protect hundreds of thousands of workers in the warehouse industry, one of the fastest growing and most dangerous in the state, from hazardous working conditions and abusive employers,” said Jonathan Bix, Executive Director of For the Many. “If powerful corporations like Amazon wanted to take care of their workers, they would have improved safety standards at their warehouses already. We need laws like WWIRA to hold companies like Amazon accountable and ensure they improve job design, safety requirements, training, and enforcement to keep workers safe and jobs sustainable. Workers deserve more—security, dignity, and victories like this one.”

About New Yorkers for a Fair Economy

New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE) is a coalition of labor unions, small businesses, and immigrant and community organizations uniting to safeguard our state from the abusive practices of big corporations and achieve an economy that works for all New Yorkers. NYFE is led by ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) and includes labor unions Teamsters Joint Council 16 and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; community groups like New York Communities for Change and New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health; and research and advocacy organizations like National Employment Law Project and Strategic Organizing Center, among others.