Amazon. employees of com inc. in Alabama, according to a Wall Street Journal vote, voted not to unite, giving the technology giant a victory in its biggest battle to date against labor organization efforts, after the game sparked the national debate over working conditions at one of the state has. largest employers.
With 72% of the vote counted, about 71% of Bessemer, Ala., Warehouse workers voted against joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, according to a Wall Street Journal vote. The number of votes against a trade union exceeds 1608, the total required to obtain a majority of the 3,215 ballot papers submitted by workers. The National Labor Relations Council is still counting the votes live on a broadcast and has not yet declared an official winner.
Each party has about a week to dispute the results before the NLRB confirms the result, and the union is expected to appeal the vote and accuse Amazon of violating legal restrictions on union campaigns. Amazon said it follows the law in its communications with employees before and during the election.
The Bessemer plant employs less than 1% of the approximately 950,000 Amazon employees in the U.S., but the vote proved to be a watershed moment for a company that hired faster last year than almost any private corporation in history.
Supporters contradict Amazon’s reputation for growth, profit and innovation with the working conditions for classic employees, some of whom have complained both in public and at the company about the physical demands of the job. They also compare the wealth of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to the experience of warehouse workers by the hour.