Amazon Accused of Illegally Interfering With Union Election The ecommerce giant is being accused of violating the National Labor Relations Act.
By Chloe Arrojado Edited by Dan Bova
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Employees in Amazon's Bessemer, Alabama warehouse are currently in the midst of a union rerun election after last year's vote against unionizing was successfully challenged by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Now the second vote, which began on February 4 and will conclude on March 28, is being challenged by the RWDSU once again.
A Tuesday email sent from the RWDSU is accusing the ecommerce giant of violating the National Labor Relations Act. According to Engadget, the union has accused Amazon of illegally interfering during the second election, using tactics such as forcing workers to attend anti-union meetings and implementing a new rule that limits the time workers can spend inside the facility to 30 minutes before and after their shift.
Amazon has rejected these accusations. But if the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) deems Amazon's actions illegal, the RWDSU may have a chance of challenging the result of the second election.
"While we haven't seen today's filing yet, we're confident that our teams have fully complied with the law. Our focus remains on working directly with our team to make Amazon a great place to work," Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel told Engadget.
According to a notice sent by the NLRB, Amazon interfered with "employees' exercise of a free and reasoned choice" during last year's election by using intimidation and improper strategies.
"The election that commenced on February 8, 2021, was set aside because the National Labor Relations Board found the Employer interfered with the employees' exercise of a free and reasoned choice by creating the appearance of irregularity in the election procedure by causing a mailbox to be installed outside the Employer's main entrance and by improperly polling employees' support during mandatory meetings," the notice said.
The 2021 election resulted in an overwhelming majority of warehouse employees voting not to unionize.
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