?Amazon recently defeated a union vote—this time near Albany, N.Y.—following a successful union drive at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, N.Y., earlier this year. It was the second union vote Amazon has defeated this year. We’ve gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other media outlets.
Overwhelming Defeat
Workers near Albany overwhelmingly voted against unionizing by a vote of 406 to 206. The union was asking for higher wages and safer working conditions. The company recently raised the starting pay at the facility from $15.70 per hour to $17 an hour.
Efforts to organize Amazon continue across the country. The Amazon Labor Union filed last week for an election at a facility in Moreno Valley, Calif.—its first effort on the West Coast.
Amazon Statement
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said, “We’re glad that our team in Albany was able to have their voices heard, and that they chose to keep the direct relationship with Amazon, as we think that is the best arrangement for both our employees and customers.”
(CNBC)
Alleged Unfair Labor Practices
Labor board staff have been investigating charges of unfair labor practices that the union filed against Amazon before the voting began. One charge maintained that a worker had been suspended for complaining that an Amazon anti-union consultant followed him and harassed him during the voting period. Amazon declined to comment on the allegations.
‘Sham Election’
Chris Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Union, said in a statement that the voting process wasn’t “free and fair.” He said, “It was a sham election where workers were subjected to intimidation and retaliation on a daily basis and even the workers who volunteered to be election observers were faced with threats of termination.” Amazon didn’t respond to a request for comment on Smalls’ statement.
(NBC News)
Victory for Union, Followed by Defeat in Staten Island
Earlier this year, a month after Amazon workers voted to unionize one Staten Island warehouse, JFK8, they rejected attempts to organize another warehouse in the borough, LDJ5. The tally at the LDJ5 warehouse was 380 votes in favor of the union and 618 against. “We’re glad that our team [members] at LDJ5 were able to have their voices heard,” Nantel said. “We look forward to continuing to work directly together as we strive to make every day better for our employees.”
The union has been calling for higher wages, longer breaks, and better health and safety policies. Amazon met one of the union’s demands by making permanent a pandemic-era policy of letting workers keep their cellphones with them while they work.
(SHRM Online), (CNBC) and (NPR)
