Voting began on February 8th for creation of an Amazon union runs until March 29th and has now received a boost to its legitimacy from Joe Biden. In a stern tone, the President of the United States declared the importance of the power of choice that workers have to join a union, if they so wish.
Joe Biden added that it is not up to employers to decide this for their employees. Much less should there be intimidation, coercion, threats and propaganda against unions. In his words, Biden referred to the state of Alabama, where the vote to create an Amazon union is taking place, but extended the speech to all workers in the country.
Workers in Alabama – and all across America – are voting on whether to organize a union in their workplace. It's a vitally important choice – one that should be made without intimidation or threats by employers.
Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union. pic.twitter.com/2lzbyyii1g
- President Biden (@POTUS) March 1, 2021
The American president's statement can be seen in a video posted on his official Twitter account. The content includes emphatic statements about the importance of unions in general, including for the construction of the history of the United States. Biden states that unions empower workers by leveling the playing field and giving them a powerful voice in defense of health, safety and better wages. The Democratic president also noted that unions protect workers from racial discrimination and sexual harassment.
Joe Biden's support for unions comes at a critical moment for nearly 6 Amazon workers who are opposed to unionizing their employees. The company has been running a heavy-handed campaign to attack this movement, including anti-union messages. placed in the bathrooms from its Alabama deposits early last month.
Amazon moves heavily against unionization
Another step in this direction came last week, when Amazon ran ads on the streaming platform Twitch, with content attacking labor organizing in Bessemer, Alabama. Twitch has removed ads then claiming that political advertising is not allowed on its services. It is important to remember that the streaming platform was purchased by Amazon in 2014. The More Perfect Union profile on Twitter, aimed at empowering workers in the United States, published the videos that were found on Twitch, denouncing what happened.
NEW: Amazon is running glossy anti-union ads to combat the organizing drive by workers at their Bessemer, AL, warehouse. An Alabama resident said this spot is one of several that Amazon is now running on Twitch. pic.twitter.com/6WlojetvzY
- More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) February 23, 2021
There are also reports that Amazon workers received leaflets with instructions to vote against unionization by March 1st, in a box placed near the warehouse where they work. In addition to the fear that Amazon is monitoring employees, since the box was placed in a strategic location for the company, the date does not match the actual deadline, which ends at the end of the month. All this without taking into account the content of the text in the leaflets, with arguments considered misleading and that distort the purposes of the unions.
If workers can count on a (some consider timid) reinforcement from Joe Biden in favor of the union, Amazon can count on a group of consultants specialized in anti-union initiatives, supported by Kotch Industries. To give you an idea of how much Amazon is investing against unionization, Russell Brown, one of the main consultants, receives US$ 3200 per day for his services, according to a report from The Intercept.
Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. Business Insider e Vice
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