Amazon Employees Backed Data Center Limits. Now They Face Termination — And a City Law Could Be Their Only Hope.

Three Amazon software engineers — Patrick Schloesser, Darius Irani, and Liesl Wigand — testified at Seattle City Council hearings on June 10, 2026, in support of a moratorium on new large-scale data centers. The next day, after the council passed a one-year moratorium, each employee was summoned to an impromptu meeting with Amazon's Employee Relations team. HR representatives told them the company was investigating and that disciplinary action, up to and including termination, was possible. The employees, all members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ), had cited a city law protecting political speech during their testimony.

On June 18, the three filed a legal complaint with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, alleging Amazon engaged in prohibited employment discrimination. Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan said the company is investigating whether the employees violated policies against speaking as a company representative without approval, but disputed claims of planned termination. The moratorium halts new data center proposals while Seattle studies impacts on land use, water, public health, and utility rates. The case highlights growing friction between corporate free speech policies and employee civic engagement on climate issues.