Skip to main content

As Amazon Alabama Union Vote Wraps Up, Eyes Turn to Other Amazon Unionization Efforts

 

Today, voting is to wrap up at the Bessemer, Alabama Amazon location where workers are attempting to unionize.  While the outcome of the union election will not be immediately know, attention has already turned to potential unionization at other Amazon locations.

Readers will recall that Amazon had previously opposed a mail in vote, instead requesting  the election be delayed until it was safe to hold in person.  After Amazon’s efforts to stop the mail in vote failed, the seven week mail in election got underway.  While many politicians have decided to wade into the fray and voice their support (or opposition) to the election, the relative absence of President Joe Biden has taken many by surprise.  Given his vocal support for unions during the previous election, many thought he would lend his voice to the unionization efforts at the Alabama location.  (After all, a unionization of this Amazon fulfillment center would be a big step toward cutting into the company’s successful efforts to beat back unionization in the U.S.).

With that being said, workers at a few other Amazon locations in Baltimore, New Orleans, and Southern California, have reportedly begun to explore a potential unionization.  Granted, rumblings and discussions about unionizing does not mean unionization efforts would be successful.  However, I would expect that should the Alabama location unionize (or even come close to unionizing), workers at other Amazon locations would become emboldened to try their hand at forming a union.  This is a matter worth keeping an eye on going forward.


For additional information:  https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-amazon-union-alabama-20210322-7mut7ccizjhaxgb4nzr57gav4y-story.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Vetoes Minimum Wage Hike

A few months ago, readers might remember that I pointed out that the New Jersey Legislature had voted to approve a minimum wage hike in the state .  Under the approved legislation, the minimum wage rate would rise to $10.10/hour in the next year and at least $15/hour over the next five.  (The current minimum wage rate in the state is $8.38/hour).  In that article, I had noted that the bill was then going to go before Governor Chris Christie for his approval or veto. As I had suggested previously, I thought that the Governor would likely veto the bill based upon his prior actions and comments on similar legislation.  Well, a few days ago, Governor Christie did just that and vetoed the bill on the grounds that it "would trigger an escalation of wages that will make doing business in New Jersey unfathomable."  Pointing to the increase in hourly minimum wage rates, the Governor referred to the bill as a "really radical increase."  (It is interesting to c...
Post a Comment
Read more