npr.org
Amazon Ordered Third Union Vote
A federal judge ordered a third unionization vote for Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, following findings of illegal anti-union activity by Amazon.
English
United States
Us PoliticsLabour MarketElectionLawsuitLaborAmazonUnionization
AmazonRetailWholesale And Department Store Union (Rwdsu)National Labor Relations Board (Nlrb)International Brotherhood Of TeamstersAmazon Labor Union
Mary Kate ParadisStuart AppelbaumMichael Silverstein
- What is the main ruling in the news article?
- A federal judge has ordered a third unionization vote for Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, following rulings that Amazon interfered with previous elections. The judge found Amazon illegally confiscated union materials, among other violations.
- What is Amazon's response to the court ruling?
- Amazon plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that the decision is wrong and that workers previously rejected unionization. The union is also challenging parts of the order, indicating further legal battles before a new election.
- What evidence of illegal anti-union activity was found by investigators?
- The National Labor Relations Board's investigators found evidence of an aggressive, illegal anti-union campaign by Amazon. This included placing a ballot mailbox in an Amazon-branded tent in a surveilled parking lot during the first election.
- What is the status of the unionization effort at Amazon's Staten Island facility?
- Separately, Amazon is still contesting a union victory at a Staten Island facility, refusing to bargain with the approximately 5,500 unionized workers. This ongoing legal battle has negatively impacted the finances and organization of the independent Amazon Labor Union, leading to an affiliation with the Teamsters.
- What was the outcome of the previous unionization votes at the Bessemer warehouse?
- The first union election at the Bessemer warehouse in 2021 resulted in a vote against unionization, but was later overturned due to Amazon's improper influence. A second election in 2022 also had a contested outcome, leading to this third ordered election.