Workers stand in line to vote for a union election at Amazon’s JFK8 distribution center, in the Staten Island district of New York City, U.S. March 25, 2022.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
The National Labor Relations Board succeeded in taking charge of the union Amazon violated labor law on New York City’s Staten Island by holding mandatory worker meetings to persuade its employees not to associate with one another.
In the past, labor councils have allowed employees to delegate such meetings, which are held regularly at companies like Amazon and Starbucks in union driving sessions.
But in one Remember board Sent to the agency’s field offices last month, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said she believes the meetings, often referred to as “detained subject meetings,” are against labor law and will seek to outlaw them.
The agency’s decision was shared Friday with an attorney representing the Amazon Labor Federation, which filed the allegation with America’s first successful organizing effort in the history of the retail giant.
The attorney, Seth Goldstein, called it “a big win.”
“These meetings have been legal for over 70 years,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “Like many other companies, we hold these meetings with our employees because it’s important that people understand the facts about unionization and the election process itself.”
An NLRB spokesperson said the agency will bring complaints against Amazon unless the retailer agrees to a settlement. If the company fails to resolve the complaint, the complaint will trigger an administrative court process where both parties can sue the case.
Bloomberg news agency first reported on the agency’s determination.
The agency also found merit in an allegation from the union that the company indicated to workers that they could be fired if they voted for the union and threatened to withhold benefits if they chose to do so. , according to an email from Matt Jackson, an attorney. NLRB field office in Brooklyn.
Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said in a statement: “These allegations are untrue and we look forward to showing that through this process.
The Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Alliance, a coalition that runs a separate organizing effort in Alabama, also filed a complaint about the required meetings.
The e-commerce giant filed a protest against the union election that led to a labor victory, claiming organizers and the agency’s Brooklyn regional office acted in a way that contaminated the election. vote. A hearing on its claims is scheduled for later this month.
League lose another election earlier this week at another Staten Island Amazon warehouse.
