Amazon. com Inc. workers in Alabama voted not to unite, according to a Wall Street Journal census, securing the tech giant a victory in its biggest battle to date against efforts to organize the workers after the contest entered the national debate. about working conditions in any of the nation. largest employers.
With 72% of the ballots counted, about 71% of warehouse workers in Bessemer, Ala., Voted against joining the retail, wholesale and department store union, according to a Wall Street Journal number of votes. The number of votes against a union exceeds 1,608, the total needed to reach a majority of the 3,215 post-in ballots submitted by workers. The National Labor Relations Board continues to count the votes live during a broadcast and has not declared an official winner yet.
Each party has about a week to dispute the results before NLRB certifies the outcome, and the union is expected to appeal the vote and accuse Amazon of violating legal restrictions on union actions. Amazon has said it followed the law in its communications with employees before and during the elections.
The facility in Bessemer employs less than 1% of the approximately 950,000 Amazon employees in the US, but the vote emerged as a watershed moment for a company hiring faster last year than almost any private company in history.
Supporters contrast Amazon’s reputation for growth, profit and innovation with the working conditions of ordinary workers, some of whom have complained both publicly and to the company about the physical demands of the job. They also compared the wealth of Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos to the experience of hourly warehouse workers.