Amazon workers reject union in NY state in blow to organizing effort

Oct 18 (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) workers rejected organizing a New York-state warehouse by an almost two-to-one margin on Tuesday, handing one other defeat to the fledgling labor union that had aimed to construct momentum in its cross-country marketing campaign.

At ALB1, the retailer’s achievement middle in Castleton-on-Hudson close to the state’s capital Albany, workers voted 406 to 206 in opposition to becoming a member of the Amazon Labor Union in the corporate’s fourth such contest of the yr. Turnout was greater than 64%.

Led by former Amazon worker Christian Smalls, the ALU this spring had delivered a first-ever victory for labor teams in search of to unionize Amazon in the United States, profitable a vote in New York City at one of many retailer’s largest warehouses in the nation.

An array of challenges since have proven that organizing America’s second-biggest non-public employer after Walmart Inc (WMT.N) stays elusive. Unions for years have aimed to stem labor practices pioneered by Amazon that they discover deleterious, like intensive vetting of workers’ productiveness.

With Tuesday’s loss, Amazon workers have rejected forming unions thrice this yr, together with at a second New York City facility and one other in Alabama. The ALU can not collectively discount the place it received this spring in the borough of Staten Island, both: a U.S. labor board director is reviewing objections to that contest by Amazon earlier than certifying the consequence.

The Alabama election just isn’t but licensed, both.

ALU representatives didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

Earlier on Tuesday, Smalls wrote on Twitter: “Regardless of todays results taking on a Trillion dollar company can never be a loss for workers. We will continue to empower all workers to give them the right to unionize.”

Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, mentioned, “We’re glad that our team in Albany was able to have their voices heard, and that they chose to keep the direct relationship with Amazon as we think that this is the best arrangement for both our employees and customers.”

The pro-labor administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and organizing wins at Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) have leant to current union efforts; this month alone, the ALU petitioned to maintain a vote in an Amazon warehouse in southern California.

But the web retailer has lengthy discouraged unionization. In the previous yr Amazon disparaged unions in toilet signage in addition to in workshops it required hundreds of workers to attend.

It not too long ago raised its U.S. common beginning pay for front-line employees as nicely, to greater than $19 per hour from over $18, which represented the May 2021 median in the warehousing and storage sector. The financial system has faltered this yr, doubtlessly influencing workers’ votes.

Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, mentioned, “If workers feel they are fairly paid, they are less likely to unionize.”

Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in Palo Alto, Calif.
Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Grant McCool

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