Posts tagged Bessemer
Fired Amazon union organizer in Alabama reinstated after filing a complaint, union says
June 16, 2023 // An Amazon spokesperson said during the appeals review, the company determined Bates had failed to be responsive to multiple requests for information regarding her leave. But the spokesperson said there were things the company could have done better to ensure Bates had clarity around what was needed — which is why she’s being reinstated. The company said it also encouraged her to file an appeal. “After a full review of her case, the decision was made to reinstate her,” said Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis. “We’re pleased that our appeal process continues to work as designed.” The RWDSU has long been a foe of Amazon, which is attempting to fend off organized labor from its vast network of warehouses. The company and the union are still contesting the results of a union election held last year in Bessemer, Alabama, which remains too close to call with 416 challenged ballots still waiting for adjudication.
A union drive is underway at Amazon’s huge new Garner facility. Can workers win in NC? Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article264044741.html#storylink=cpy
August 10, 2022 // The Amazon distribution center in Garner is massive. Located a few miles southeast of downtown Raleigh, it covers 2 million square feet and houses multiple departments across four floors. The facility, known as RDU1, employs more than 4,000 people who work shifts spanning all hours of the day and night, seven days a week. It’s a colossal operation, and Mary Hill is one of the workers trying to unionize it all. A Raleigh resident, Hill is the co-founder of Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment, or C.A.U.S.E., which she formed with her colleague Rev. Ryan Brown, a former pastor in western North Carolina. Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment, Mary Hill, Tim Platt, Duke University School of Law,
Amazon files motion to close hearing on union victory to the public
June 10, 2022 // Amazon’s lawyers filed a motion to close the hearing, according to a filing provided by ALU attorney Seth Goldstein to The Washington Post. NLRB hearings are typically held in person and open to the public. But Amazon argues in its motion that because the hearing is being held on Zoom, it makes it difficult to know if witnesses who aren’t supposed to be able to observe the proceedings are in attendance, or if the hearing is being recorded and shared with those witnesses. Caroline O'Donovan, Jeff Bezos,
Amazon union vote in NYC could be overturned: NLRB
May 4, 2022 //
Amazon Takes On the National Labor Relations Board
April 27, 2022 // In the 25 official objections Amazon filed with the board, the company argues that the NLRB’s “interference and mismanagement” prevented “a free and fair election” at its Staten Island facility. Among other things, Amazon alleges that the board arbitrarily excluded some workers from the bargaining unit in which the union had to show 30% support to hold a vote. The company also alleges the NLRB let union representatives distribute marijuana to workers in exchange for votes and intimidate workers opposed to collective bargaining. (The union’s lawyer told the Associated Press that the intimidation allegation is “patently absurd” and handing out marijuana “is no different from distributing free T-shirts and it certainly did not act to interfere with the election.”)
How Amazon’s unlikely union reflects the changing face of US labour movement
April 26, 2022 // Professional labour activists will be watching closely as the Amazon Labour Union faces its second test on Monday, as workers at a smaller facility across the street begin casting ballots in their own union election. It is unclear if the grassroots strategies that succeeded the first time — such as connecting over home-cooked meals and bus stop bonfires — will produce the same results at other facilities.
Amazon Workers at New Jersey Facility to Hold Union Election Read more at: https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/amazon-workers-at-new-jersey-facility-to-hold-union-election Copyright © BloombergQuint
April 20, 2022 // Local 713 brought in revenue of $7.3 million, with $6.1 million in net assets in 2018, the last year non-profit filings were available for the union. Peter Hasho, the union’s president emeritus at the time, was paid more than $1 million a year, according to the filing.
Don’t Expect Unions To Make a Comeback
April 18, 2022 // The biggest problem for unions, it turns out, is that workers are making real progress without them
Biden signals support for Amazon workers’ unionization efforts: ‘Amazon, here we come’
April 8, 2022 // Speaking to thousands of labor leaders in Washington on Wednesday, Biden asserted that "unions are about, in my view, dignity and respect for people who bust their neck," noting that his White House's task force for "Worker Organization and Empowerment" was established "to make sure the choice to join a union belongs to workers alone."
Analysis: Big victory at Amazon gives unions promise – but no end to challenges
April 5, 2022 // At the same time, traditional unions are reaching out to help ALU leader Smalls. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is offering "whatever support we can," said its president, Mary Kay Henry.