Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, should hold a new election to determine whether to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, the National Labor Relations Board said in a preliminary finding Monday.
Details: The e-commerce giant may have illegally interfered in a mail-in election tallied in April on whether workers at the plant should unionize, per a statement from an NLRB hearing officer assigned to the case. Amazon said it would appeal any ruling stipulating that a second vote should take place.
What they're saying: Union president Stuart Appelbaum said in a statement to news outlets that it supports the hearing officer's recommendation that the NLRB set aside the election results and direct a new election.
- "Throughout the NLRB hearing, we heard compelling evidence how Amazon tried to illegally interfere with and intimidate workers as they sought to exercise their right to form a union," he said.
The other side: "Our employees had a chance to be heard during a noisy time when all types of voices were weighing into the national debate, and at the end of the day, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of a direct connection with their managers and the company," Amazon said in an emailed statement to Axios.
- "Their voice should be heard above all else, and we plan to appeal to ensure that happens."
Flashback: Amazon defeats union effort at Alabama plant
Editor's note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
