Amazon, America’s second-biggest private employer behind
Walmart, does not have any union labour in the United States, and workers at
its fulfillment centre in Bessemer, Alabama, would be the first to join if they
vote in favour.
The last attempt by Amazon workers to unionise was in 2014.
A White House spokeswoman, who declined to comment directly
on the Alabama effort, said President Biden supports union organising and
collective bargaining and has urged employers not to run anti-union campaigns
or interfere with organising and bargaining. He has also called for holding
employers accountable and increasing penalties when they do, she added.
RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum told Reuters the
conversation with a top advisor to President Joe Biden took place after the
inauguration and focused on their efforts to organise the facility in Alabama.
“We wanted to inform the White House that this campaign was
taking place and that they would be hearing about it… we did not make any
specific request,” Appelbaum said, adding that the Biden advisor was interested
in learning more about the situation in Alabama.
Appelbaum said labour leaders “connected to the RWDSU” spoke
to the White House, but he declined to name who they spoke with. He also said
another senior advisor to Biden has been tracking the Alabama effort.
“The larger labor movement has indicated to the White House
that this is an important campaign, that this is a priority,” Appelbaum said.
On February 8, the National Labor Relations Board will mail
ballots to 5,805 workers at the facility near Birmingham, who will then have
seven weeks to decide whether they want the RWDSU to represent them.
The effort to secure White House support by labor leaders
underscores the high stakes involved, as Amazon fights its biggest labour
battle yet in the United States. A victory for the union could encourage
workers attempting to organise at other Amazon facilities.
Amazon spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said the company does not
“believe the RWDSU represents the majority of our employees’ views.” The
company’s employees choose to work at Amazon because “we offer some of the best
jobs available everywhere we hire, and we encourage anyone to compare our total
compensation package, health benefits, and workplace environment to any other
company with similar jobs,” she added.
Amazon has long avoided unionisation, and it has trained
managers to spot organising activity. A website advocating Amazon workers shun
unions, doitwithoutdues.com, warned the Bessemer employees, “why pay almost
$500 in dues? We’ve got you covered* with high wages, health care, vision, and
dental benefits.”
The COVID pandemic spurred labor organising in different
parts of the company and the world’s largest online retailer has faced a
barrage of criticism over its handling of a coronavirus outbreak at its
warehouses and other facilities.
Amazon, reporting more than 19,000 COVID-19 cases as of
September, has said it increased cleaning, implemented virus tests and
temperature checks, and added other measures to protect associates.
© Reuters
0 comments:
Post a Comment