Amazon Fulfillment Center Warehouse.
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Amazon warehouse workers in an Alabama warehouse could begin voting by mail in early February to form a union, a National Labor Relations Board hearing officer ruled Friday.
About 6,000 employees at the Bessemer, Alabama Filling Center will cast their ballots from February 8 to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Ballot papers must be received by the NLRB’s regional office by March 29, and then the council will start counting the vote at 10:00 the next day.
The decision is a blow to Amazon, which has insisted that the election be held in person at the Bessemer facility, known as BHM1.
A spokesman for RWDSU declined to comment. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. An Amazon spokesman earlier said the company did not believe the RWDSU was ‘the majority of our employees’ views. ‘
The ruling kicks off what will be a meticulous vote by the union at one of the country’s largest employers. Trade unions have a stronger foothold among some of Amazon’s European employees, but the company has largely succeeded in thwarting organizational efforts in the US.
Amazon has set up a website to advertise its position on the Alabama warehouse union, encouraging workers to ‘do it without debt’, citing the cost of membership when joining a union.
“We have covered you with high wages, health care, vision and dental benefits, as well as a safety committee and appeals process,” according to the website, first reported by The Washington Post. “There is so much MORE you can do for your career and your family without paying fees.”
Amazon has not had a significant vote in the union since 2014, when repair technicians in a Delaware warehouse were unable to garner enough votes to form a union. Since then, however, protests related to Prime Day and other events, as well as the coronavirus pandemic, have laid the groundwork for increasing organizational efforts among some sections of its workforce across the country.
This story unfolds. Check back for updates.