Amazon Illegally Threatened Workers Over Union Push, U.S. Labor Board Claims

Amazon warehouse employees in New York are within the center of a drive to create the corporate’s first unionized workforce, an effort Amazon has no real interest in it succeeding. Though Amazon’s no stranger to preventing union efforts, a brand new grievance filed by the National Labor Relations Board revealed on Thursday claims the e-commerce juggernaut crossed the authorized line.

In the grievance, first noticed by Bloomberg and Motherboard, U.S. labor board prosecutors accused Amazon of interrogating and surveilling employees at its New York achievement heart in Staten Island. An Amazon marketing consultant allegedly referred to union organizers there as “thugs” and promised staff Amazon would repair their issues in the event that they oppose the union. Amazon additionally allegedly confiscated union literature and advised staff to not distribute pro-union literature with out the corporate’s permission. That identical marketing consultant concerned within the above schemes was additionally employed by Amazon to dissuade employees from organizing in Bessemer, Alabama, final 12 months as effectively, Vice notes

The grievance additionally reportedly lays out treatments that may require necessary coaching of Amazon’s managers, consultants and safety guards, (in addition to union avoidance consultants) to tell employees about their rights to type a union.

Gizmodo reached out to the Amazon Labor Union, the unbiased group organizing employees on the New York warehouses, however didn’t instantly hear again. However, in an announcement to Bloomberg, ALU chief Chris Smalls mentioned he hopes “other union-busters as well learn their lesson and that workers are encouraged to speak up.”

Amazon is refuting the accusations within the grievance. “These allegations are false and we look forward to showing that through this process,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, mentioned in an e mail.

The grievance comes simply hours after the NLRB confirmed employees within the Staten Island achievement heart had garnered sufficient signatures to formally ask for a union election. Workers on the web site are expected to participate in a union election within the coming months. The NLRB grievance additionally arrives only one week after labor board prosecutors told Bloomberg they deliberate to formally accuse Amazon of illegally firing an activist employee again in November.