Amazon is known for fast delivery. But finding out if Amazon warehouse workers voted for or against is going to take longer.
The last day for the nearly 6,000 workers in Bessemer, Alabama, to vote more was more than a week ago. But it may take a few more days – or longer – for all the votes to be cast before the result is known.
The vote itself has attracted national attention due to its potentially wide implications. Labor organizers hope a victory in Bessemer will inspire thousands of workers nationwide – and not just at Amazon – to consider uniting. For Amazon, this means a big blow to its profits and could change its business operations.
This is what we know about the mood:
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WHAT DO ORGANIZATIONS WANT?
Except for higher salaries, they want Amazon warehouse workers to give more rest and be treated with respect. Many complain about their teasing ten-day workdays with only two 30-minute breaks. Workers are on their feet most of the time, packing boxes, packing products or unpacking goods arriving in trucks.
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WHY IS IT HAPPENING NOW?
Labor historians point to two reasons, the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Workers feel betrayed by employers who have not done enough to protect them from the virus. At the start of the pandemic, for example, Amazon workers went on hikes because they said they had not received protective equipment or that colleagues had tested positive for the virus.
The Black Lives Matter movement, meanwhile, has inspired people to demand that they be treated with respect and dignity. According to the organizers, most of the workers in the Bessemer warehouse are black.
The last time Amazon workers tried to unite was in 2014, when a small group of mechanics working at a warehouse in Delaware tried to organize. But the effort was eventually thwarted.
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WHAT IS AMAZON’S ANSWER?
Amazon claims that the Bessemer warehouse, which opened about a year ago, has created thousands of jobs with an average salary of $ 15.30 per hour – more than twice the minimum wage in Alabama. Workers also receive benefits, including health care, vision and dental insurance without paying unions, the company said.
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HOW ARE THE VOICES STEELED?
Since March 30, the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees the process, has been going through the votes with representatives from Amazon and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Names and signatures were revised, but not how the workers voted, which will then be done in an anonymous version. Voters put their ballots in two envelopes to keep the vote secret.
Amazon or the retail union can dispute the votes for various reasons, such as the person no longer working at the warehouse or having a job that disqualifies them.
Any disputed votes will be set aside and remain unopened. From Thursday or Friday, the other “yes” or “no” votes are counted. Members of the media will be able to see it through a live stream. Which side wins is determined by the majority of the extended votes.
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WHEN DO WE KNOW THE RESULTS?
It is still unclear. Much depends on how many people voted. The union said on Wednesday that more than 3,200 votes had been cast and that there were hundreds of votes, but not a specific number. The Labor Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night. If the number of disputed votes is sufficient to change the final result, hearings may be held to have the votes counted.
Part of the reason why the process takes longer than usual is because of the coronavirus. Union elections are usually conducted in person at the workplace, said Andrew MacDonald, a partner at law firm Fox Rothschild.
But the Labor Council ruled that it would be unsafe to vote in person, and instead asked workers to vote by mail. Personal elections are usually quicker because labor council agents can see if a worker is eligible to vote when they show up, instead of reviewing each envelope with votes sent by mail, MacDonald said.
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WHAT HAPPENS IF THE UNION WINS?
Amazon will usually have to start negotiating a contract with the New York-based RWDSU, which leads the organizing efforts for Bessemer warehouse workers and represents 100,000 employees at poultry plants, soda bottles and retailers such as Macy’s and H&M. But the company can lodge objections against the union and delay the contract negotiations by weeks or months.
In the past, labor experts have said employers have done all sorts of things to not recognize a union, including closing shops or warehouses. In 2005, for example, Walmart closed a store in Canada where about 200 workers were close to a union contract. At the time, Walmart said claims from union negotiators made it impossible for the store to maintain itself.
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WHAT HAPPENS IF THE UNION LOSES?
The retail union could file unfair labor practice charges against Amazon, based on the company’s conduct in Seattle during the election to influence the outcome. According to the scenario, the union says the NLRB would plan a hearing and decide whether to set aside the election results because the employer created an atmosphere of confusion or fear of retaliation for employees. If that happens, another election could take place.
In cases where the labor council finds that the employer did something extremely heinous to violate labor laws, it could overturn the outcome of the election, MacDonald said.
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Follow Joseph Pisani on Twitter: @ josephpisani