Amazon is the second largest private employer in the U. With nearly 800,000 workers. But none of its facilities are unionized and the push to unionize from workers in Alabama is over — for now. Stephanie Sy speaks to Margaret O’Mara, a professor at the University of Washington, about Friday’s victory for the retail giant.
Can amazon workers unionize?
Amazon hired a law firm that specialized in helping companies subdue union activity. Ultimately, employees voted 21-6 against joining the union . Amazon says that its workers don’t need collective bargaining agreements because the company already offers much of what unions demand.
Despite those policies, three major unions are working to organize Amazon employees today . The Teamsters, United Food & Commercial Workers Union, and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union have supported strikes and collective bargaining campaigns in recent years.
One of the next things we wondered was: should Amazon’s Bessemer warehouse workers unionize?
Lets find out. the Bessemer warehouse saw a visit from Sen. Bernie Sanders, national media attention, and divisions over whether to unionize. Jennings and other employees who voted against the union said Amazon already provided everything a union would. Amazon also made this argument .
Does Amazon work with unions?
Labor unions have organized some of Amazon’s European workforce, but no U. Facility has successfully formed or joined a union. “ Amazon has always been actively trying to dissuade employees from organizing unions ,” said Marcus Courtney, a longtime labor advocate who attempted to unionize call center workers at Amazon in the early 2000s.
But whether Amazon workers are currently signing union authorization cards is a closely guarded secret . “The only thing that you can do on an organizing campaign is operate under surprise,” said UFCW president Marc Perrone.
On Friday, the National Labor Relations Board’s tally showed Amazon crossing the threshold to defeat the union attempt. Out of over 5,800 warehouse workers at this location, 3,215 cast ballots. The final tally was 1,798 votes against unionizing and 738 votes for the union, with 70.9% of valid votes counted against unionizing.
This is what my research found. “There should be no intimidation, no coercion, no threats, no anti-union propaganda,” he said in a video that never mentioned Amazon but referred to “workers in Alabama” deciding whether to organize a union. “You know, every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union. The law guarantees that choice.”.
Is Amazon under threat from Teamsters Union?
The Seattle-based e-tailing giant — which in April fended off a closely watched attempt to unionize a warehouse in Alabama — is now facing a threat from the powerful Teamsters union , which on Thursday will vote on a resolution to organize thousands of Amazon drivers and warehouse workers across the country.
Will Amazon unionize in Bessemer?
Now Amazon faces a union vote at a warehouse in Bessemer, Ala. — the largest and most viable U. Labor challenge in its history. Nearly 6,000 workers have until March 29 to decide whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.
Does Amazon have a union training video?
Amazon said the training video has not been used since last year, and it was in compliance with the National Labor Relations Act. Amazon is also recruiting employee relations managers whose duties include having “significant experience in handling union organizing activities” and “responding to union activity.”.