Online retailer Amazon prevents union formation

The world's largest online retailer Amazon has won the eagerly watched vote on the first union in a US location. Even if the count is still ongoing, it is already clear that the majority of employees in Bessemer, Alabama, have decided against employee representation. At least 1,608 out of a total of 3,215 votes were against joining the RWDSU retail trade union. At that point there were only a little more than 600 yes-votes. Should the result not be overturned, the multibillionaire Jeff Bezos' group would have won the historic election and prevented the first breakthrough by a US employee representative body in its 27-year history. However, the RWDSU announced that it would contest the result and accused Amazon of having exploited a "broken electoral system". The union had campaigned for safer working conditions and fair wages. The almost 6,000 employees of the logistics warehouse in Bessemer had almost two months to vote on the employee representatives - due to the pandemic - postal vote. The vote attracted great interest across the country, and during the election campaign the union received support from top politicians, including President Joe Biden and a number of other celebrities. In the logistics center in Bessemer, management campaigned against unions at conferences and distributed corresponding flyers in the toilets. The RWDSU should not simply accept a defeat. The union accuses Amazon of "illegally" influencing the vote and has announced strong opposition. Observers believe that protracted legal consequences are possible. Before the election, Amazon had tried with all its might to delay the vote, but failed with an objection to the NLRB labor protection authority. The Bezos Group was of the opinion from the start that no union was necessary, as the employees would already get everything they could stand up for. Amazon boasts one of the highest wages in the industry, comprehensive fringe benefits from day one on the job, career opportunities and a safe and modern work environment. But especially in the logistics centers, employees repeatedly complain about the high and strenuous workload and alleged surveillance.