A group of Amazon workers in a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama has moved closer to a vote to decide to form a union. The last time this happened at Amazon was back in 2014 at a warehouse in Delaware. According to the New York Times, this move is a major milestone for organized labor, which has tried unsuccessfully to make headway at Amazon to no avail.
As Al.com reported, the Bessemer facility notified the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Nov. 20 that they want to hold an election to create a bargaining unit that would cover 1,500 full-time and part-time workers and would be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). The latest hearings helped to decide which workers could vote and could cover over 5,800 employees, including full-time and seasonal workers.
If this campaign is successful, it could lead to other workers trying the same thing at other Amazon warehouses. Amazon has more than 800,000 employees, second only to Walmart. Hourly Amazon workers have never formed or joined a union in the U.S.; neither have employees at Walmart.
The RWDSU is a union organization with over 80 years of history. They’ve successfully helped unionize major retailers like H&M, Zara, and Macy’s.
“We don’t believe this group represents the majority of our employees’ views,” an Amazon spokeswoman, Heather Knox, said in a statement about the union. “Our employees choose to work at Amazon because we offer some of the best jobs available everywhere we hire, and we encourage anyone to compare our overall pay, benefits, and workplace environment to any other company with similar jobs.”
Maria Figueroa, director of labor policy and research at Cornell University’s Worker Institute stated, “If Amazon were to eventually agree to a union contract, it would send a signal to the entire retail and e-commerce industry that it is possible.”
The current issue is whether voting should occur in person or by mail. Amazon wants the vote to be in person, but the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is concerned because of the high rate of coronavirus in the Bessemer area. The NLRB regional office is expected to decide on the voting issue in January.
“Our interest is in making sure there is an election soon,” Richard Rouco, a lawyer for the union, said on Monday.