NEW YORK, April 8 (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) on Friday referred to as for an election re-run after employees at a New York Metropolis warehouse voted to create the corporate’s first U.S. union, saying that the U.S. labor board and worker-organizers suppressed turnout.
The Amazon Labor Union (ALU) rejected the allegations made by the net retailer that’s the second-largest U.S. non-public employer.
Amazon made its demand every week after the landmark victory for organized labor, which for years has sought to supply protections to employees on the firm. Some 55% of staff who voted from Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island opted to affix the ALU, which has argued for greater pay and job safety. Turnout was about 58%.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel mentioned in a press release: “We would like our staff to have their voices heard, and on this case, that did not occur – fewer than a 3rd of the staff on the web site voted for the union.”
Amazon additionally accused the ALU of intimidating employees and distributing marijuana to achieve votes in its favor, in keeping with an organization submitting on Friday.
Derrick Palmer, vice chairman of the ALU, mentioned Amazon is making an attempt to “demean our character and undermine our efforts.”
The U.S. Nationwide Labor Relations Board (NLRB) now should course of Amazon’s objections earlier than certifying the election end result. The timing for this was not instantly clear.
In its submitting, Amazon mentioned the NLRB improperly helped the ALU achieve standing to carry an election and created the impression that it supported the union. Amazon additionally accused the NLRB of hampering turnout by means of mismanagement within the polling space and by permitting digital camera crews on web site that scared away voters.
An NLRB spokesperson declined to touch upon these objections however the board has mentioned beforehand that it’s impartial and that its enforcement actions towards Amazon have been per its congressional mandate.
The ALU pushed again towards Amazon’s claims, saying the corporate didn’t contest low turnout in a previous union election in Alabama wherein employees voted towards organizing. The ALU mentioned it was Amazon that had intimidated employees, and the union has filed dozens of unfair labor follow fees towards the corporate.
Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York and Jeffrey Dastin in Palo Alto, California; Enhancing by Leslie Adler and Will Dunham
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