NLRB recommends rerun of Amazon union election
The NLRB says Amazon unfairly influenced the outcome of the election
An official at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the USA has recommended overturning the results of the landmark union election at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama this year. While the plan to unionise was defeated, the NLRB now says Amazon's tactics unduly influenced the vote's outcome.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which sought to represent Bessemer workers, said on Monday that the NLRB's investigation found that Amazon had used anti-union tactics to influence the results of the election, including surveillance and making workers fear for their jobs.
A regional director for the NLRB is expected to take a final decision on whether to order a new election within weeks.
Amazon plans to appeal the recommendation, which has not been released publicly yet.
"Our employees had a chance to be heard during a noisy time when all types of voices were weighing into the national debate, and at the end of the day, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of a direct connection with their managers and the company," an Amazon spokesperson told NPR.
"Their voice should be heard above all else, and we plan to appeal to ensure that happens," the spokesperson added.
Workers at the Bessemer facility rejected unionisation by a 2-1 margin in April. RWDSU filed a legal challenge after the result was announced, alleging that Amazon had used unfair labour practices to discourage workers from unionising.
During an NLRB hearing in May, RWDSU said Amazon compromised the election's integrity by using a ballot collection box installed in the warehouse's private parking lot, under the sight of company cameras.
The mailbox's placement inside a tent also prompted employees to wonder whether the company was trying to monitor the vote.
Amazon argued that the mailbox was installed by the US Postal Service for workers' convenience and that the tent actually shielded workers from cameras.
During hearing, one worker testified that managers at the Bessemer warehouse warned workers during mandatory meetings that the facility could close if employees voted to unionise.
A long history of anti-union action
Amazon has been accused of discouraging workers' attempts to organise for years.
In February, RWDSU alleged that Amazon's management was sending text messages to workers at the Bessemer warehouse and asking them to attend anti-union meetings, despite the company's own social distancing policy. The company was also accused of working with local authorities to speed up traffic light switching outside the plant, so union organisers woudn't have time to hand out literature to passing workers.
The latest finding coincides with another NLRB observation that Amazon unlawfully interfered with employees organising at its JFK8 fulfilment centre in New York in May.
Motherboard claims to have reviewed NLRB documents, which suggest that Amazon prohibited an employee from distributing pro-union literature to other workers at the Staten Island fulfilment centre.
The company also seized the literature (in violation of US labour laws) and gave employees the impression that their unionisation activities were being monitored, according to the report.
Connor Spence, a worker at the JFK8 warehouse, told Motherboard that he was handing out leaflets about unions to other workers on 16th May when a security guard approached and confiscated them.
"He took the union literature away and wouldn't give it back," Spence said.
"I filed the charge so that there's accountability in place that prevents them from doing this in the future."
According to Spence, Amazon crosses the line a lot "when it comes to stopping workers from unionising".
"Unfortunately labour law isn't very strong in our country, but I'm hoping Amazon cares about its image and these stains on their record."