"It was a portal through which we collectively, many of us, were momentarily allowed to dream of what the future could look like if this emerging or emergent behemoth of Amazon had more democratic control, if workers had more collective power and more say over their workplaces, over how the economy is run so on and so forth...", Robin D.G. Kelley, October 2021
words by Charles Brooks
April 2, 2022 UPDATE: According to the NLRB, the recent election results show 993 versus 875 who want to join the RWDSU but due to 416 “challenged” votes – the results cannot be certified. The results are on hold until the NLRB holds a hearing that, “processes the challenges and any objections the parties may file.
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| Photo credit: BAmazon photo gallery |
Workers at the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, are once again engaged in a pitched battle to unionize there. Although, workers voted last year not to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) “set aside” the election results due to Amazon’s anti-union activities and ordered new elections.
The workers there now not only have a second chance to make history but to continue the momentum that has already ignited similar organizing activities across the country. The political and economic implications of a win is so enormous that it is no understatement to say the stakes here are high.
