The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union has filed objections to the National Labor Relations Board in the wake of a vote by Bessemer Amazon fulfillment center workers against unionization.
Those opposed to being represented by the union outvoted those for the union by more than a 2-to-1 margin. If the union vote had passed, it would have been the first unionization of Amazon workers in the country.
The RWDSU filed 23 objections to the vote, alleging misdeeds by Amazon, including:
- Installation of a ballot collection box by Amazon, giving “the appearance that Amazon and not the NLRB controls the mechanics of the election.”
- Threatening workplace layoffs and facility closure.
- Threatening loss of pay and benefits should the union be voted in.
- Intimidation on the part of Amazon toward workers who supported the union.
The Wall Street Journal reported that an Amazon spokesman said the union was misrepresenting the facts.
The union wants the initial vote set aside and another vote to be held. The NLRB’s review of the complaints could take weeks or months, according to the Journal.
Read more about the vote here.
