Amazon.com Inc has been accused of illegally calling the police on employees, restricting discussions about organising, and terminating an activist before a unionisation vote, according to a complaint filed by US labour board prosecutors.
In a filing on Monday, the National Labor Relations Board accused the online retailer of repeatedly violating federal law at a warehouse near Albany, New York, in spring, summer, and fall of 2022. The complaint alleged that Amazon “has been interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed” under federal law.
The complaint stated that the company prohibited staff from discussing the union during work hours but allowed discussions on non-work topics. It also claimed that Amazon held “mandatory or effectively mandatory” anti-union meetings.
Furthermore, the complaint alleged that the company had implemented a policy that forbade employees from being on the premises pre- and post-shift in order to discourage union organising. It selectively enforced this policy to target union activists, according to the complaint. Additionally, the complaint mentioned that an employee who supported the union and participated in collective action was terminated by the company in August for that reason.
Last November, a federal judge in New York ruled that Amazon must stop retaliating against employees for workplace activism.
“These allegations are completely without merit and we look forward to showing that through the legal process,” said Eileen Hards, a spokesperson for Amazon. Hards noted that several charges filed at ALB1 had already been dismissed by the NLRB.
In October of last year, workers at the Albany-area facility voted against joining the Amazon Labor Union. The complaint filed on Monday called for the terminated activist to be reinstated with back pay and an apology. It demanded a meeting between employees, the warehouse’s general manager, and a reading of a notice about workers’ rights. The complaint also stated that if more anti-union “captive audience” meetings were held, the union should receive equal time to address the employees.
Complaints issued by NLRB regional directors are reviewed by agency judges, whose decisions can be appealed to labor board members in Washington DC, and subsequently to federal appeals court. This process can take several years. The NLRB does not have the authority to impose punitive damages or hold executives personally responsible for violations.
The Amazon Labor Union, founded by current and former Amazon workers, achieved a significant victory in April 2022 when it won a unionisation vote at the company’s 8,000-person warehouse in Staten Island, New York. However, the union has faced challenges in expanding its presence to other facilities and forcing Amazon to negotiate a contract. Amazon has contested the union’s win and is appealing the NLRB regional director’s rejection of its allegations. The company intends to continue the legal battle in federal court.
“Amazon was so outrageous in their attacks on the union that it was impossible to successfully organise” at the Albany-area facility, said Seth Goldstein, the union’s attorney. Goldstein believes that the remedies sought by the regional director would restore the opportunity to organise at the warehouse.
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
