The National Labor Relations Board said today that it will resolve any claims of objectionable conduct in the second union election at Amazon’s Bessemer fulfillment center after the votes are counted.
The ruling came the same day that ballots went out to approximately 6,100 workers at the facility, which they will have until March 28 to fill out and return. The election will deal with whether workers at the warehouse want to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union (RWDSU). A similar vote last year went decidedly in Amazon’s favor against unionization.
In January, the RWDSU asked the NLRB to reconsider a decision to allow a mailbox in the facility’s parking lot ahead of the mail-in election.
The mailbox, which was largely the reason the results of last year’s election were tossed out, was allowed to stay on-site in the NLRB decision that paved the way for a second election.
In allowing for the 2022 revote, the NLRB’s regional director said the mailbox can remain but must be in a “neutral location” away from the center entrance, and no one can erect a tent, banner or sign in view of it. The union said the mailbox’s location was still within view of surveillance cameras on the property.
Here is full coverage of the Alabama Amazon unionization effort
“Our denial of review is without prejudice to the (union) raising the conduct alleged in its Request for Review as a post-election objection,” the NLRB decision stated. “In this regard, we observe that the (union) has not sought a stay of the election, nor is there a clear basis for doing so. Accordingly, the election here will proceed, and, in accordance with the Board’s general practice, claims of objectionable conduct will be resolved after the election.”
The RWDSU had no comment on the decision. Amazon was not immediately available for comment.
The NLRB has two other actions on the table regarding efforts to organize at two Amazon facilities in New York.
Yesterday, the Region 29 Office in Brooklyn received a union election petition for Amazon Labor Union to represent 1,500 fulfillment center associates at an Amazon’s building in Staten Island. And last week, the same union met the showing of interest requirement to hold an election for 5,000 fulfillment center associates at another Staten Island facility. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.