02-03-2022
Amy’s Kitchen manufactures canned and frozen organic vegetarian dishes. Located in Santa Rosa, California, the company puts itself forth as socially responsible and promotes positive social change.
In January 2022, NBC News published a report detailing poor working conditions at the plant. The interviewed workers told the news outlet that they experienced poor working conditions and overly demanding production mandates. For example, one worker said the company expected them to produce more than 25,000 plates of food in a single 8-hour shift. They described unsafe speeds on the production line and said the company did not provide proper accommodation following injuries. The workers also said that the company refused to provide them with water and bathroom breaks to meet production demands. According to NBC, the OSHA complaint also alleged the company locked the fire exits and managers were hostile when employees raised safety concerns. The workers noted serious understaffing at the plant.
OSHA has records of eight separate “serious” labor violations within the past five years at Amy’s. The San Francisco Gate reported the company owes nearly $90,000 in fines for its violations, all of which the company has contested. The Teamsters are working to unionize the plant. Andy and Rachel Berliner, who own Amy’s, wrote an open letter on their website in response to the report by NBC News. In that letter, they stated the allegations do “not reflect who we are as a company and the values we uphold.” They say they are “deeply committed” to listening to their employees.