Tech

Amazon union rerun election in Alabama will be determined by challenged votes


Initial results of a second union election at Amazon’s BHM1 warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama is finally on sale. Workers voted against the union in a tightly contested vote of 993-875 (with 59 votes invalidated) out of 6,153 workers eligible to vote. Voter turnout appears to have been significantly lower this time around, as more than 3,000 employees cast ballots in early 2021 vote. However, 416 votes were challenged – more than enough to change the outcome – so final results may not be available for a while.

While it is currently unknown how many of the challenges come from which side, at a press conference after the vote count, Department Stores and Retail Alliance president Stewart Applebaum said “each side challenges more than 100 ballot.” The NLRB has not yet scheduled a hearing to determine which of these ballots will be opened and counted, but is expected to do so in the coming weeks. Any additional unfair labor practices that RWDSU wants to complain about in connection with this re-election will need to be filed within the next five business days.

The vote count brought BHM1 to the end of a long and messy story. Bessemer workers vote against unity in early 2021, but the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Amazon Labor law violations by interfering with the vote. RWDSU accuses Amazon of repeatedly trying to intimidate workers through measures such as unauthorized ballot boxes and anti-union campaign material. While Amazon refutes the claims, the NLRB ultimately ordered a second vote.

The re-election did not go smoothly either. RWDSU has maintained that Amazon interfere in the second vote by removing pro-union posters, forcing participation in anti-union meetings, and limiting time spent with the company to discourage organizing. Before voting, RWDSU also accusing Amazon of illegal retaliation against the pro-union efforts of workers Isaiah Thomas. The company has once again argued that its actions were legal.

BHM1 was the first major Amazon facility in the US to hold a union vote, but it is no longer the only one. A Staten Island warehouse, JFK8, is voted on potential unionization and early voting totals put Amazon’s grassroots Labor Union ahead by several hundred votes. Another Staten Island facility scheduled to hold its own unification vote starting at the end of April. Simply put, there is a growing desire for workers to have a say in their conditions at Amazon – however, whether such efforts will be successful remains to be seen.

Additional reporting by Bryan Menegus. Update information from RWDSU and NLRB

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