Senator Bernie Sanders is planning to visit the Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama, this Friday. Sanders will join Michael “Killer Mike” Render and Danny Glover to visit with Amazon workers trying to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Actor Danny Glover visited the center last month as well, according to Al.com. 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.
The Bessemer Alabama facility is coming close to creating a union at Amazon, a feat that hasn’t been attempted since 2014 when a much smaller group of workers in Delaware attempted to unionize. The attempt ultimately failed.
In February, Sanders showed his support by sending pizzas to a union rally, Al.com reported. Sanders tweeted out his support for the Amazon workers in Bessemer, stating, “I stand in solidarity with Amazon workers in Alabama who are today beginning to vote in a historic union election. If they win, it will not only improve wages and working conditions in Bessemer, but it will also send a shockwave around the country.”
I stand in solidarity with Amazon workers in Alabama who are today beginning to vote in a historic union election.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 8, 2021
If they win, it will not only improve wages and working conditions in Bessemer, but it will also send a shockwave around the country.https://t.co/namvkT16zx
Workers in Alabama – and all across America – are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. It’s a vitally important choice – one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers.
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 1, 2021
Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union. pic.twitter.com/2lzbyyii1g