The straw that could break Amazon

 

Amazon is using every dirty trick in the book to quell the union effort at one of its Alabama warehouses. But workers across America are inspired to fight back. More than 1,000 Amazon employees in warehouses around the U.S. have contacted the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) about joining, and all eyes are on the trailblazing effort in the Deep South. “It would help very much if Alabama votes yes," one Seattle-based worker told the Washington Post. "The chances that we'll do something increases.”1 Their success could create a domino effect that finally reclaims power from one of America’s biggest and most predatory monopolies. Demand Progress has been working to support workers, small businesses, and our democracy by taking on Amazon’s power and break up the company. A union in Alabama could be a turning point in taking on Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s power. Will you donate to support Demand Progress and keep the pressure on Amazon? Amazon has fought back unionization in the United States for years. But the company’s harsh working conditions, made even worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, have made the union drive in Bessemer one of the most promising yet. Workers are fed up, and they’re closer to success than ever before. RWDSU reports that more than 3,000 Amazon employees in Alabama have signed union pledge cards—this is the majority of those eligible to vote for the union.2 Union organizers got a crucial boost from President Joe Biden late last month, who put out a video message saying, "there should be no intimidation, no coercion, no threats, no anti-union propaganda. . . . Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union."3 But Amazon is redoubling its efforts to defeat the union. It tried to stop a vote-by-mail effort in court, and when it lost, told workers they had to vote by March 1, when the voting period actually ends March 29.4 The company is running ads that spread lies about the union. And it’s paying employees $1,000 to quit their jobs, in an effort to weed out workers who might support the union.5 Workers across America are watching to see if the historic union push in Alabama will succeed. We cannot let Amazon crush workers’ rights or union efforts, and Amazon must be held accountable for its horrendous working conditions. Demand Progress helped launch the Athena coalition to take on Amazon's power, and we're standing with the workers in Alabama and gathering signatures to call on Congress to break up Amazon. Will you donate? Yes, I’ll donate to Demand Progress today and help Break Up Big Tech companies like Amazon. Thanks for standing with us. Robert Cruickshank, Demand Progress Sources: 1. Business Insider, "More than 1,000 Amazon workers across the US have asked about unionization following the historic union vote at an Alabama warehouse," March 9, 2021 2. The Washington Post, "Amazon fights aggressively to defeat union drive in Alabama, fearing a coming wave," March 9, 2021 3. Business Insider, "Biden supports the historic Amazon worker union vote in Alabama, and demands 'no anti-union propaganda'," March 1, 2021 4. Business Insider, "More than 1,000 Amazon workers across the US have asked about unionization following the historic union vote at an Alabama warehouse," March 9, 2021 5. Motherboard, "Amazon Is Paying Employees to Quit Right Before Critical Union Vote," February 22, 2021 PAID FOR BY DEMAND PROGRESS (DemandProgress.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.