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While some staffers speculated that the death was work-related, Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson told the outlet that the incident was related to a personal medical condition, and ruled out working conditions as a culprit and disputed labor leaders’ account of the timeline.
The worker, identified only as Rafael, experienced chest pains the evening before his shift on Wednesday, July 13, but didn't tell colleagues or managers at the warehouse, Stephenson said, citing results of an internal investigation.
Rafael had apparently been unconscious on the floor for more than 20 minutes and that it was nearly an hour before 911 was called, Amazon Labor Union President Chris Smalls said in a tweet. Smalls said the man was told to keep working after telling management he was experiencing chest pains.
Stephenson gave a different account, saying that an onsite medical expert began emergency treatment immediately after the employee collapsed. Amazon said 911 was called immediately and arrived within 16 minutes. Smalls didn’t return NBC's requests for comment.
Two EWR9 (Carteret fulfillment center) employees who spoke to NBC News said the area where Rafael died was on an upper level and known for particularly high temperatures within the warehouse. Both workers requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. Rafael had worked as a "waterspider," one of the workers said, a job that involves carting goods around the facility.
The other worker said she had asked her managers about his death but wasn't given more information. One manager told her not to talk about it, she said, noting frustration at the warehouse has run high since the fatality.
Amazon hasn't released any additional information about its investigation into the incident, the worker or conditions at the warehouse at the time.
Days after the employee's death, warehouse management posted a remembrance card on a company bulletin board and distributed it in an internal note to employees. Some workers said they were upset that the card contained little information about the employee, identifying him only by first name, or what led to his death, NBC says.
"Remembering our Rafael," it reads, next to a photograph of the employee. The text on the card said that Rafael had worked at the facility, called EWR9, for only a few months, noting he was "very hard working" and "always looking to help out where needed."
NBC News couldn't immediately identify the worker's full name or contact his family. The Dominican Republic's embassy in Washington didn't respond to requests for comment.
"We’re thankful for the quick actions of our own teams and the first responders," Amazon's Stephenson said in the statement. "This has been a tragic situation for our employee’s family and for our colleagues at EWR9 who worked with him."
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