The result is a huge victory for the American labor movement and could have a knock-on effect on other Amazon affiliates across the country, as well as other major companies in the service sector.
With 1.1 million employees, Amazon is the second largest employer in the United States. The company has not yet commented on the vote. Founder Jeff Bezos previously said he doesn’t think unions are a good solution. The company would rather talk directly to employees and not through a union.
The result is a major slap in the face for Amazon, which has been doing everything it can to prevent employees from uniting in unions for years. Amazon employees were required to attend meetings where the company discouraged them from voting for a union. These counter-campaigns are often successful and scare many people off. Last year, an attempt by Amazon employees in Bessemer, Alabama to form a union failed. Many employees were concerned about their safety during the pandemic. The organization behind the Amazon Labor Union in Staten Island hopes for higher wages, more vacation days and longer breaks.
Friday’s result has yet to be formally approved by the National Labor Relations Board, a government agency that monitors labor law enforcement. Amazon representatives have a week to appeal if they believe the election was not fair. On April 25, the next union election will take place at another Amazon warehouse on Staten Island.
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