Amazon union election results should be scrapped over improprieties, NLRB officer recommends
Source: Washington Post
SEATTLE — Amazon improperly pressured Alabama warehouse workers to vote against joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and should hold a new union election, according to recommendations from National Labor Relations Board hearing officer. The NLRB hasn’t released the decision, but the union put out a statement saying the recommendation went in its favor. The NLRB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The recommendation stems from the fiercely contested election at a warehouse that ended in April with a resounding defeat for the union. Workers rejected unionization by more than 2-to-1, a loss for both the RWDSU and labor groups broadly. During the nearly two-month mail-in balloting, the union drew support from leaders at the AFL-CIO as well as progressive politicians nationally including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and voting-rights advocate Stacey Abrams.
The recommendation will now move to the NLRB’s regional director in Atlanta, which oversaw the election, to issue a ruling. That decision could take several weeks, according to the agency. “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,” union president Stuart Appelbaum said in a statement. “We support the hearing officer’s recommendation that the NLRB set aside the election results and direct a new election.”
Ten days after the votes were counted, the RWDSU filed objections to the agency, alleging that Amazon’s tactics “constitute conduct which prevented a free and uncoerced exercise of choice by the employees.” It argued those actions “constitute grounds to set the election aside.” That filing led to a nearly three-week hearing in May at the agency’s Atlanta regional office, which oversaw the election. Several workers appeared via video on the union’s behalf, testifying that Amazon’s tactics created an atmosphere of election surveillance. The union argued that perception tainted the election.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/02/amazon-union-election-redo/
I had seen some of the Senate actions last week when I was looking for a roll call vote, where there was an NLRB nominee who was confirmed. An (R) vacancy is due to come up at the end of this month (8/27) and I expect that to be replaced with a (D). So Pres. Biden is keeping that Board in mind.
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