Amazon workers in Alabama to get second chance at union vote!

Bessemer, Alabama - Amazon workers in Alabama will get a second chance to become the company's first unionized warehouse in the US!

New Yorkers rally in solidarity with Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama.
New Yorkers rally in solidarity with Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama.  © IMAGO / Pacific Press Agency

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced on Monday that Amazon workers will be able to redo their unionization vote following reports that the company engaged in unfair practices during the first go around.

Workers said Amazon held mandatory anti-union meetings in which managers told employees their fulfillment center would be closed if unionization went through.

They were also allegedly told that union leaders would use their dues to buy themselves luxury cars and vacations.

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Additionally, the mailbox for depositing ballots was placed under an Amazon tent in the company parking lot. One pro-union worker said he even saw corporate security officers opening the box.

Workers voted over 2-to-1 against unionizing when ballots were counted in April, with more than 50% turnout. But the NLRB has found that Amazon's intimidation tactics were enough to call the legitimacy of the results into question, warranting a second vote.

Following the NLRB ruling, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) President Stuart Appelbaum told NPR, "Today's decision confirms what we were saying all along – that Amazon's intimidation and interference prevented workers from having a fair say in whether they wanted a union in their workplace."

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel stated, "It's disappointing that the NLRB has now decided that those votes shouldn't count. As a company, we don't think unions are the best answer for our employees."

In the end, it will be up to the workers themselves to decide whether a union is the best choice for the company and its employees.

Amazon is expected to appeal the NLRB's decision.

Cover photo: IMAGO / Pacific Press Agency

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