Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, are set to vote on unionization for the third time in three years following a federal judge's ruling that the retail giant improperly influenced the most recent vote. The decision comes after Administrative law judge Michael Silverstein found that Amazon committed six violations leading up to the second election in March 2022.
Silverstein determined that Amazon managers surveilled employees' union activities, threatened workers with plant closure if they voted with the union, and removed pro-union materials from areas where anti-union materials were available. The National Labor Relations Board also found improper interference in the first election in 2021, leading to the redo in 2022.
The ruling is part of a nationwide legal battle involving Amazon, the National Labor Relations Board, and unions spearheading unionization efforts. Both Amazon and the union involved in the vote have stated that they will appeal the judge's order.
Despite affirming the court's findings that Amazon broke labor laws, the union expressed concerns that similar violations could occur in a third election without significant remedies. The union requested access to private meetings between Amazon representatives and workers, as well as training for Amazon supervisors on labor laws, but the judge declined those requests.
Amazon, on the other hand, vehemently disagreed with the ruling and indicated that they would appeal. The company emphasized that the majority of employees at the Bessemer facility have already expressed their preference against unionization in the previous votes.
The vote in Bessemer, which has approximately 6,000 employees, is significant as it became the largest U.S. facility to vote on unionization in Amazon's history in 2021. Similar unionization battles have taken place at Amazon facilities across the country, with workers in Staten Island, New York, successfully voting to unionize in 2022.
The ongoing legal challenges and appeals are likely to delay the upcoming vote in Bessemer. The city, with a population that is over 70% Black and a significant portion living in poverty, has been at the center of this high-profile labor dispute.
