Amazon union vote results are out! Will sellers suffer again?

Sellers often complain that in Amazon's eyes, customers are God, sellers are leeks to be harvested, and workers are horses doing hard labor. Amazon wants the horse to run, but it also wants the horse not to eat grass.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon's performance soared, and while it made a lot of profits , it forced Amazon workers to work overtime , so the conflict between the two sides began to intensify. Amazon workers around the world went on strike to protest Amazon, demanding that Amazon improve their treatment and treat workers well, and Amazon warehouse workers in the United States even applied to form a union to negotiate with Amazon.

The voting results are in, is Amazon the winner?

Over the past two months, Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer have been voting by mail to decide whether to form a union. The warehouse's workers are expected to become the first group of Amazon employees in the U.S. to form a union , a major event for Amazon, which has long opposed unionization, and a major test for the company since its founding 27 years ago.

▲ The picture comes from Weibo

The union vote, which affects the interests of both parties, was announced recently. It is learned that there are about 5,800 employees in the warehouse who are eligible to vote whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

The voting results showed that 1,798 votes were against joining the union and 738 votes were in favor of joining the union. Since only 3,215 people participated in the vote, Amazon only needed 1,608 votes to win .

But it won't be easy for Amazon to win this election.

It’s not that simple!

As soon as the results of nearly half of the votes were aborted were announced, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union quickly issued a statement, " Amazon interfered with the warehouse workers' right to vote in a free and fair election , and called on the Commission to conduct a full investigation into Amazon's corrupt practices in this election."

Afterwards, the union also held a press conference, saying it would challenge the election results and oppose Amazon's election practices and unfair labor practices. The union leader also revealed to the media, " We believe there is a high possibility of a re-vote, and we will expose Amazon's poor working conditions to the public ."

▲ The picture comes from the Internet

Amazon responded in a blog post signed by "Amazon Employees" that "the union's claim that Amazon won the election because employees were intimidated has no factual basis and is completely false ."

The union's accusations against Amazon are likely to trigger a protracted legal battle, focusing on whether Amazon has engaged in anti-union behavior and whether it has obstructed fair elections .

The union also said it was ready to submit evidence to the committee, accusing Amazon of violating labor laws. The key evidence to challenge the election results is that Amazon ignored the committee's ruling and pressured the U.S. Postal Service to install ballot boxes, which gave workers the illusion that Amazon was monitoring them .

In response to the union's remarks, Amazon publicly responded that "Amazon has proposed many different voting options from the beginning and hopes that all employees can participate in the voting. The reason for setting up a voting mailbox is that this is a simple, safe and completely optional way."

Although Amazon explained the reason for setting up voting mailboxes, the nearly half of vote abandonment rate has raised doubts among people from all walks of life.

Some foreign media commented on the news, "If the result of this vote allows the establishment of a union, then employees will have a greater advantage in negotiating with Amazon on treatment and other matters, and will also be able to obtain a better working environment. Employees have no reason to choose to abstain from voting or vote against unless someone coerces them. "

Although Amazon has temporarily taken the lead in establishing a union, it is only one step away from success - obtaining official certification from the U.S. National Labor Relations Board .

If the voting results are successfully certified by the committee, it will declare that the workers' efforts to form a union have failed, which will undoubtedly be a huge blow to employees who want to form an Amazon union.

However, the union leaders are confident about the re-vote because Biden has asked Amazon not to intimidate or threaten workers who participate in the vote . Biden also issued a statement firmly supporting the workers' movement and used it to promote the concept of the National Labor Relations Act.

Many sellers also expressed their opinions:

As the seller said before, no matter which side wins, the sellers may suffer in the end . If the workers win the election, the union will be successfully established and the demands raised by the workers will be resolved. For Amazon, the increase in workers' wages means an increase in costs, and Amazon may pass this part of the cost on to the sellers. If the workers lose, the possibility of continuing the strike cannot be ruled out.

I sincerely hope that the two parties can sit down and have a good negotiation, reasonably put forward and resolve their own demands. The seller’s fragile heart can no longer withstand strikes again and again.

What do sellers think about the union vote results? Please leave a comment below~