Amazon shareholders on Wednesday voted down a proposal calling for an independent audit of working conditions at the e-commerce behemoth’s warehouses.
The proposal’s defeat at the Seattle-based company’s annual shareholder meeting came despite calls from activist groups and unions to improve labor conditions at the warehouses where customer orders are sorted, packaged and shipped.
Amazon had recommended shareholders vote against the proposal and 14 others presented at the meeting, a record for the company. All the resolutions were voted down by a majority of shareholders, the company said, citing preliminary voting results. It did not release shareholder vote totals Wednesday, but its expected to release them in regulatory filings.
Many of the resolutions focused on workers’ rights and issues such as further disclosure of the company’s lobbying and taxes. The resolutions are nonbinding, but usually pressure corporate boards to take action.
