The final results will only be certified by the NLRB at the earliest week.
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As of Thursday night, it appears that workers at an Alabama Amazon warehouse are ready to reject the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. With almost half of the ballots counted by the National Labor Relations Council from 16:00 PT, the votes against the union have the votes by more than two to one number, with 1100 votes against the union and 463 votes. The score is until Friday morning 04:30 PT, with results later in the day.
The workers in Bessemer, Alabama, voted over a seven-week period and returned ballots by mail. in a historic election to decide whether the first U.S. Amazon union should be formed. About 5,800 workers were eligible to vote, and 3,215 returned their ballots. Hundreds of ballots were reportedly challenged before the count based on whether the employee was eligible for election.
The number of votes, which were watched live for observers and reporters, took place in an NLRB office in a small trial room with two observers in a small gallery. An NLRB agent processed each ballot paper by placing it under a camera and saying ‘No! or “Yes!” while reading the results. Observers have had the opportunity to object to ballot papers if the voter’s intention is unclear, but this rarely happens. Amazon used to take a lead in the vote count and stayed ahead all the time.
After the ballots have been counted, the NLRB will give a final score if one party wins by a wide margin that the printed ballots could not change the results. If the margin is too narrow, the agency will resolve the challenges in the lawsuit that could take weeks.
Read more: Amazon’s union agrees: What you need to know when counting ballots
Amazon fought fiercely against the union struggle, and reportedly hired an anti-union consultant at $ 3,200 a day, requiring employees to attend unions that argue against unions. The company argued that it already treats its workers well, with an initial wage that is almost double the region’s minimum wage, as well as health, pension and education benefits. A strong union could increase Amazon’s costs and potentially have a say in the use of robotics and automation in Amazon’s warehouses.
Even if Amazon is the clear winner, the union can object to the election based on an unfair labor practice or election that improperly affects the outcome. In this scenario, RWDSU has one week to object to the election. If the Labor Council decides in favor of RWDSU, the agency may order the re-election of the election.