‘Fighting Goliath’: Amazon workers to hold union election at North Carolina warehouse
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NLRB-sanctioned vote in February of 4,300 workers could produce only second unionized Amazon warehouse in US. An independent group of workers at an Amazon warehouse in Garner, North Carolina, are seeking to form the second unionized warehouse at Amazon in the US.
Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (Cause) filed to hold a union election at the warehouse, which, despite Amazon claiming they were “very skeptical” the group would have enough legitimate signatures for the petition, was approved by the National Labor Relations Board.
The election to represent 4,300 workers at the 700,000 sq foot warehouse in the suburbs of Raleigh is scheduled to be held from 10 to 15 February. The union has been organizing since early 2022 at the warehouse, pushing for better pay, improved paid time off, better scheduling, improved accommodations for workers with injuries or disabilities, and respect on the job.
The Rev Ryan Brown, a co-founder of the group, who worked at the warehouse for five years until he was terminated in December, explained he was inspired by seeing Amazon workers such as Jennifer Bates publicly speak out during the first union election at Amazon in the US in 2021 at a Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse. Those workers came up short in a vote and a re-run election, but another re-run election has been ordered by a judge due to Amazon’s misconduct.
In early 2022, Brown said he spoke out against being ordered to work in a department in the warehouse known for Covid-19 outbreaks, and began speaking with a co-worker with similar concerns about the workplace. They decided to start organizing for improvements.
