E-commerce giant Amazon has repeatedly thwarted efforts to unionize its fulfillment center warehouses and truck driving employees. But a recent settlement with the National Labor Relations Board could bring its anti-union winning streak to an end.
The mutually agreed upon settlement tasks Amazon with notifying past and current warehouse personnel they possess the right to organization inside the company’s facilities using email and internal communication infrastructure. The agreement also reportedly expedites the NLRB’s ability to intervene and hold Amazon accountable for any violations.
“Whether a company has 10 employees or a million employees, it must abide by the National Labor Relations Act. This settlement agreement provides a crucial commitment from Amazon to millions of its workers across the United States that it will not interfere with their right to act collectively to improve their workplace by forming a union or taking other collective action,” NLRB general counsel Jennifer Abruzzo reportedly stated. “Working people should know that the National Labor Relations Board will vigorously seek to ensure Amazon’s compliance with the settlement and continue to defend the labor rights of all workers.”
Organized labor advocates see the settlement as a significant step forward. That’s largely because Amazon agreed to allow on-site unionization efforts despite a rule that generally prohibits such communications. Yielding to NLRB negotiators may be the result of a firestorm of alleged violations. At least 75 unfair labor practices cases have been charged against Amazon since the pandemic began in 2020.
At its Bessemer, Alabama, facility of 5,800 workers, a union organized vote overwhelmingly got the thumbs down. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union reportedly cried foul after suffering defeat and accused Amazon of interference and coercion, among others. The NLRB suggested nullifying the outcome and conducting another vote despite the fact 70 percent voted against unionization.
In New York City, the fledgling Amazon Labor Union (ALU) put a vote on hold after discovering it fell far short of the required signatures. The ALU reportedly stated it “signed up thousands of Staten Island Amazon warehouse workers who want a union.” However, it appears the inexperienced organizers failed to tabulate the total workforce and account for seasonal staffing departures.
The seemingly unparalleled success of the e-commerce leader to deter unionization at all of its facilities — bar none — begs the question of whether a majority of its workforce wants a union. To date, efforts by organized labor have been haphazard, and the reported outcomes have not been particularly close. Even the powerful International Brotherhood of Teamsters has been unable to secure a foothold in the Amazon warehouse and trucking network.
The reason for anti-union outcomes may be that the company routinely raises wages across the country. The average Amazon employee starts at more than $18 per hour, more than double the federal minimum wage. The ongoing strategy of positioning its workforce at equal or ahead of other pay scales in the warehouse and transportation industry will be put to the test. The recent settlement with the NLRB makes union messaging and communication more transparent and fluid.
Sources: foxbusiness.com, wsj.com
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