Employees at an Amazon fulfillment center in Garner, North Carolina, officially voted against unionizing in results disclosed today, marking a significant setback for organized labor efforts within the company.
The Election Breakdown
Data provided by Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), the organization spearheading the unionization push, reveals that 3,276 ballots were cast. The final tally showed 25.3% of workers in favor of the union, while 74.7% voted against it. These results currently await official certification from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Allegations of Misconduct and Company Stance
In a statement provided to CNBC, CAUSE attributed the lopsided outcome to what they described as “Amazon’s willingness to break the law.” The group asserted that the company’s “relentless and illegal efforts to intimidate us prove that this company is afraid of workers coming together to claim our power.”
Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards pushed back against these claims, denying any illegal activity during the election process. “We’re glad that our team in Garner was able to have their voices heard, and that they chose to keep a direct relationship with Amazon,” Hards said.
Broader Context of Amazon Labor Relations
The Garner vote follows a series of labor actions across the Amazon ecosystem. While workers at a Staten Island facility successfully voted to unionize in 2022, recent efforts have faced more resistance. Earlier this year, staff at a Philadelphia-based Whole Foods, owned by Amazon, voted in favor of unionization; however, the grocery chain has since petitioned the NLRB to set those results aside.
Simultaneously, the legal landscape surrounding labor relations is shifting. Amazon’s legal team has recently joined SpaceX in a legal challenge to the NLRB’s structure, questioning the constitutionality of the federal agency that oversees such elections.
