Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the union that recently lost a vote to organize Amazon warehouse workers (AMZN) in Alabama, sharply criticized Jeff Bezos on Friday over the CEO’s promise in a letter from shareholders about the day ‘to do better’ for its employees.
Bezos’ remarks likely point to an attempt at public relations to minimize the damage done to the technology giant’s reputation over the course of the months-long union at its Bessemer, Al. Plant, Appelbaum said, leading the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, or RWDSU.
Appelbaum called on the company to apply the sentiment expressed by Bezos through improved working conditions and the failure of anti-union intimidation efforts.
“We can not just let him get away with empty words,” Appelbaum told Yahoo Finance. “Where they say nice words, what we really need are nice actions.”
“I definitely hope that what Bezos is saying is not just another PR attempt to have damage control,” he adds. “We’ve seen too many examples of how Amazon was more concerned with dealing with public links than dealing with the underlying issue.”
In a poll completed on April 9, workers at the warehouse in Bessemer voted overwhelmingly against the union, although RWDSU promised to file charges alleging that Amazon was interfering illegally in the election.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Appelbaum’s comments.
“We need a better vision”
In its shareholders’ letter on Thursday, Bezos acknowledged the need to improve the treatment of employees at the company, citing the recent vote in the union.
“I think we need to do a better job for our employees,” Bezos wrote in the letter, which will be his last before retiring as CEO later this year. ‘While the result of the votes was unequivocal and our direct relationship with employees is strong, it is clear to me that we need a better vision for how we create value for employees – a vision for their success. ‘
Bezos added that he “has always wanted to be ‘the earth as the most customer-oriented business’, and that he commits the business to ‘the best employer and the safest workplace on earth’.
Workers in the warehouse in Bessemer have criticized the difficult conditions enforced by digital devices, which they say are being monitored every minute. Employees also claim that inadequate safety protection has increased stress and health risks to COVID-19.
Amazon has strongly reprimanded such claims, citing a number of security measures implemented during the pandemic, and a compensation package that includes benefits and entry-level payment of $ 15.30, more than double the federal minimum wage.
In his letter, Bezos refers to surveys that show that 94% of employees at Amazon fulfillment centers would recommend Amazon to a friend as a workplace. He also said Amazon employees are free to take informal breaks, in addition to the 30-minute lunch and 30-minute break they receive each shift.
The National Labor Relations Council, which picked up the votes, found that 1,798 votes had been cast against the union and 738 in favor. While 76 votes were void and 505 were contested, Amazon’s victory was decisive.
Yet only 3,041 out of 5,876 voters voted. Appelbaum said observers should not interpret the outcome of the union vote as evidence of satisfaction with workers, but rather as anti-union intimidation done by Amazon.
“People should not assume that the outcome of this vote means workers are happy with Amazon’s working conditions,” he says. “Instead, what the results really show is the powerful impact of intimidation and interference from employers.”
“People across the United States and around the world must hold Bezos and Amazon accountable for the urgent need to bring about change in working conditions at their warehouses,” he says.
In the course of the union that began last summer, RWDSU never spoke to Bezos, Applebaum said. But he would welcome a dialogue with Bezos about working conditions at the company, he added.
“If he’s serious about change, we’ll welcome a conversation with Bezos about what we heard and what we discovered,” he says.
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