Amazon Warehouse Workers in North Carolina Reject Unionization
Amazon secured a significant victory after employees at its North Carolina warehouse voted against unionization. The "no" votes accounted for approximately 75% of the total, marking a setback for union officials who have targeted Amazon due to its involvement in multiple industries, including logistics, manufacturing, and technology.
The union needed a simple majority among the 4,300 workers at the Garner warehouse to establish a bargaining unit. However, the unofficial results released by the union revealed 2,447 votes against and only 829 in favor.
Amazon has consistently maintained that its direct relationship with employees is more beneficial than union involvement. Union representatives, on the other hand, advocate for improvements in working conditions and wages through collective negotiations.
Amazon expressed its satisfaction with the outcome, stating that workers "chose to keep a direct relationship with Amazon." Union organizers, however, alleged that the company's "illegal effort to intimidate" workers played a role in the vote.
The Garner vote follows a similar election held at a Philadelphia Whole Foods location, where a majority of employees voted in favor of unionizing. However, Amazon has challenged the legitimacy of that vote, alleging coercion and intimidation tactics by union officials.
The Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), which led the organization effort in North Carolina, had aimed to join the Staten Island warehouse as the second unionized Amazon facility in the US. Amazon has not yet acknowledged the Staten Island union's legitimacy or engaged in negotiations.
Union membership in the US has been declining, with the percentage of unionized workers dropping to 9.9% in 2023 from 10% in 2022 and 11.1% a decade prior. North Carolina has the lowest union membership rate among all states, at 2.4%.
CAUSE members had proposed changes such as $30-per-hour wages and extended lunch breaks. Italo Medelius-Marsano, a CAUSE secretary, estimated walking over 20 miles per shift.
Amazon's Garner facility offers $18.50 per hour, more than double the North Carolina minimum wage. The company's 2024 annual report expressed concerns that unions could hinder operational flexibility and potentially damage its business and reputation.
In Quebec, unionization efforts at an Amazon facility were met with resistance from the company, which dismissed nearly 1,700 workers. Union officials believe the dismissals are retaliatory. Amazon maintains that the use of contractors in Quebec will result in savings for customers.
Amazon's ongoing legal battles with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) continue, with the company contesting the NLRB's authority. Former President Donald Trump's dismissal of top NLRB officials has also hindered the agency's operations.