"Amazon Interferes with Union Formation Vote"… U.S. National Labor Relations Board Recommends Revote

On March 22 (local time), a protest supporting the establishment of an Amazon union took place in Los Angeles, USA. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The U.S. e-commerce company Amazon has been advised to conduct a new vote after interfering with a union formation vote.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined that Amazon interfered with the vote held by warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, who were attempting to join the retail, wholesale, and department store union (RWDSU), a sectoral union, according to reports by Bloomberg and The Washington Post (WP) on the 2nd (local time).

Although the NLRB has not publicly disclosed this decision, it became known after both the union and Amazon issued statements confirming the recommendation.

The union stated in a release, "During the NLRB hearings, we encountered evidence that Amazon illegally intervened to oppose the union formation," and added, "We support the NLRB's recommendation to conduct a new vote."

Amazon responded, "The overwhelming majority of employees oppose unionization," and argued, "This opinion should be respected above all else, and we will request a reconsideration."

Earlier, Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer held a vote in April on whether to join the RWDSU, but the motion was rejected with more than twice as many opposing votes?1,798 against and 738 in favor out of 3,215 valid votes.

The union raised suspicions that when the vote began, a mailbox was installed in front of the warehouse, giving the impression that Amazon was involved in collecting and counting ballots, ultimately influencing the vote. They also presented emails indicating that Amazon urged the post office to install the mailbox immediately.

Furthermore, the union claimed that Amazon interfered with the union formation vote by firing employees who distributed union cards and pressuring workers to vote through company-installed mailboxes.

Amazon explained that the mailbox installation was intended to facilitate voting convenience and was not an attempt to exert influence.

Ten days after the vote, RWDSU claimed the free vote was compromised and called for invalidation, leading to the start of NLRB hearings.

After hearing both sides during the hearings, the NLRB concluded that Amazon interfered with the union formation vote and recommended conducting a new vote.

If the recommendation that the vote was unfair is accepted by the NLRB regional office in Atlanta, the previous vote results will be nullified, and a new vote must be held, WP reported.

Bloomberg reported that this recommendation has dealt a significant backlash to Amazon, which had strongly opposed the warehouse workers' union formation.

However, foreign media analysis suggests that it is uncertain whether the results will change even if the vote is held again. Since Amazon warehouse workers receive higher minimum wages than workers in other regions, the motivation for union formation may be weak. Additionally, if the vote is held again, the company may conduct individual counseling sessions educating employees about the disadvantages of the union, as it did during the previous vote.