The union probably wants this public so they can say Amazon cheated but the union might not want a 2nd vote to actually happen so they don't lose.
Claim "Moral victory" and move on for a while.
Claim "Moral victory" and move on for a while.
My understanding is the particular area had a long history of unionization, maybe particularly by African Americans.
I read about it elsewhere, but here's the first source I could find that speaks to that:
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/03/16/the-ama...
> In the South, anti-labor laws are inextricably linked to the historic suppression of Black workers. Racism in the form of no- or low-wage Black labor has been part of the growth model of racialized capitalism. And when workers are unable to collectively bargain and demand their fair share, economic growth becomes concentrated in the hands of a few.
> Fortunately, the Birmingham metropolitan area—home to Bessemer—has already proven that unionized Black workers can create economic growth and shared prosperity. At the turn of the 20th century, Birmingham labor unions facilitated the establishment of a Black middle class. Black and white miners organized to form the United Mine Workers (UMW) union and, together, secured better wages. Following UMW’s success, what was then known as the Alabama Federation of Labor (AFL) followed the same strategy of a racially integrated membership—in part out of fear that nonunionized Black workers would replace striking workers. As a result, Black Alabamians earned leadership positions and spots in every committee of the AFL, and the union’s first five vice presidents were Black. This inclusive labor movement continued until the 1930s, when U.S. Steel—rife with Ku Klux Klan members—began to restrict job promotions for unionized Black workers, limiting access to senior positions they previously occupied.
Do you have any evidence of this? Seems libellous to me and it directly contradicts all of the reliable media reports I've heard on the subject, which state that ballots were deposited in the mail including an official USPS box on-site.
A small story about Amazon cheating doesn't really generate much buzz. Voting again, if nothing else, makes the story more public, there will be a lot of talk about why the vote is happening again and what happened the first time.
The median household income in Bessemer, AL, is $32,301 per household per year (~$15.50 per household per hour) [0] and the per capita annual income is $19,420 (~$9.34/hour) [0]. Considering Amazon's minimum wage is FAR above the wages at least 50% of residents in Bessemer, AL, earn, I think it will be another blowout, as most of those workers would be afraid that Amazon would just shut down that distribution center and open another one in another Birmingham, AL suburb or exurb.