Update: A majority of workers have voted not to form a union at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Bessemer, Alabama. The result of the NLRB's initial vote count was 1,798 votes against the union and 738 in favor. Hundreds of additional ballots were not counted because their authenticity was disputed. But the "no" side already has a majority of the 3,215 votes cast, making the issue moot.
Original story, April 8: A closely watched effort to unionize an Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama appears to be headed for defeat. With about half the votes counted, 1,100 workers have voted against forming a union, while only 463 voted in favor.
The National Labor Relations Board is counting the 3,215 votes that were cast by workers at the Bessemer facility. The union needs to win at least half the votes in order to become the official representative of the roughly 6,000 workers at the Bessemer facility. Counting has ended for the evening and is scheduled to resume at 8:30 am Central Time on Friday.
Also at The Washington Post, c|net, and Al Jazeera.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday April 10 2021, @08:07PM (4 children)
Amazon tends to use lower skilled workers too. After all, if those other warehouse jobs pay $20 per hour and Amazon pays $15 per hour, then why are you working at Amazon? Answer: because you're not skilled or experienced enough for those $20 per hour jobs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 11 2021, @01:33AM (1 child)
Or, because you're not skilled or experienced enough to vote for a union. Are you blaming the victim again, khallow? Bad form!
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday April 11 2021, @02:12PM
That's supposed to be a thing?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 11 2021, @11:26AM
I think in most of the country, Amazon is on the better paying end of the warehouse jobs market rather than the lower end. I was surprised they paid only $15/hr anywhere, as they could get away with it in my area but are starting above $20/hr.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 11 2021, @04:18PM
It's because those other warehouses aren't as large. They don't need as many workers, so even if all jobs at those facilities opened up, you would likely still have a substantial number of amazon employees looking for work. People underestimate just how big amazon is.
You also assume that they don't, but I'd wager that the rate of burnout at those amazon warehouses is rather high due to the conditions.