[2] Palmer grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey to a single mother who worked in the pharmaceutical industry.

[3][4] Palmer joined Amazon in a warehouse in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey[5] in 2016 where he counted product inventory.

[1][6][7][8][9] After Palmer's best friend from the warehouse, Chris Smalls, was forced out due to what Amazon said was a violation of the company's social distancing policies, the two decided to start a unionization effort.

The lawsuit alleged that Amazon "unreasonably" interfered with the workers' right to public health and failed to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and New York State public health laws, resulting in an alleged breach in Amazon's duty to provide a safe working environment.

[12][13] The lawsuit was dismissed on November 2, 2020, after Judge Brian Cogan determined the jurisdiction was with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.