Amazon to get hearing that could overturn NY union vote, labor board official says -Breaking
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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: An Amazon Labour Union (ALU) organizer greets workers outside Amazon’s LDJ5 sortation center, as employees begin voting to unionize a second warehouse in the Staten Island borough of New York City, U.S. April 25, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDerBy Jeffrey Dastin
(Reuters] – Amazon.com Inc.’s objections regarding a significant union election at a New York City company warehouse justifies a hearing that could change the outcome. A U.S. National Labor Relations Board Official (NLRB).
An online retailer accused the Brooklyn branch of the NLRB, accusing it of supporting the union drive. It also claimed labor organizers had intimidated workers into casting their votes in support.
Amazon secured last month the transfer of the case to the NLRB’s Phoenix region by citing the conduct of the Brooklyn office. According to Friday’s filing, Cornele Overstreet (director of that office) stated that the evidence supporting Amazon’s claims could be used as grounds for overturning an election.
About 55% of Amazon employees who voted in Staten Island’s JFK8 warehouse opted for joining the Amazon Labor Union, which advocates higher wages and better job security. About 58% of those who voted were present.
This election was the first time that Amazon’s employees in the United States had voted to unionize during its nearly 28-year-old history. It represented a win for organized labor, which has long sought greater worker protections at America’s second largest private employer.
Overstreet failed to specify which Amazon 25 objections might have the potential of invalidating the election’s outcome. Overstreet stated that parties could present evidence starting May 23. Then, an NLRB hearing officers will decide whether or not to accept the results. It could take up to weeks.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said, “We want our employees to have their voices heard, and in this case, that didn’t happen – fewer than a third of the employees at the site voted for the union.”
The ALU representatives and the NLRB declined to comment immediately on requests. Amazon’s objections, according to the ALU, have no merit and serve only to stop certification of the union. It also claims that workers were never coerced by it.
According to the NLRB, Amazon’s enforcement actions have been in line with Congress mandate.
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