US labor board upholds Amazon workers' union victory
Amazon has the right and says it will appeal the decision to a broader panel at the U.S. National Labor Relations Board
Amazon plans to appeal a U.S. labor board director ruling upholding a New York warehouse workers' landmark union victory.
The Wednesday decision brings the online retailer closer to bargaining with staff on a contract.
"We knew it was unlikely that the NLRB Regional Office would rule against itself, and intend to appeal," Kelly Nantel, Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement.
Amazon has the right to appeal the decision to a broader panel at the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) or can start negotiating with the workers at its JFK8 facility in the New York City borough of Staten Island.
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Amazon workers line up outside the company's facility, in Staten Island borough of New York, March 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted / AP Newsroom)
"We don't believe this election process was fair, legitimate, or representative of the majority of what our team wants," Nantel added.
The victory by the Staten Island employees marked the first time U.S. staff at Amazon had decided to unionize in the company's nearly three-decade history.
In a tweet, the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) celebrated the labor board director's decision.
Amazon warehouse with packages and company logo (Getty Images / Getty Images)
The news comes at a time when Amazon looked to lay off more than 18,000 corporate staff in light of economic uncertainty and proposed closing three warehouses in the United Kingdom while opening others in the country.
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Some 55% of employees who voted during the election last March had opted in favor of joining the union, which argued for higher pay and job security.
An Amazon Prime truck passes by the sign outisde an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York. ( (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) / AP Newsroom)
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Turnout was about 58% of nearly 8,000 eligible voters.
Workers in different facilities in New York state have rejected joining the union in two elections since, and Amazon filed objections to conduct during the original contest.
The NLRB regional director overruled those objections on Wednesday, in line with an NLRB hearing officer's recommendations last year.
Reuters contributed to this report.
