Amazon Workers in North Carolina Vote Against Unionizing

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Garner, North Carolina, have voted against forming a union, as election results announced today revealed.

Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), the worker group behind the union effort, stated that 3,276 ballots were cast in the election. Of those, 25.3% supported unionizing, while 74.7% opposed it. These results will still need the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to certify them.

In a statement to CNBC, CAUSE attributed the outcome to “Amazon’s willingness to break the law,” accusing the company of using “relentless and illegal efforts to intimidate” workers. They argued that these tactics demonstrate Amazon’s fear of workers uniting for change.

Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards refuted the claims, stating, “We’re glad that our team in Garner was able to have their voices heard, and that they chose to keep a direct relationship with Amazon.” She denied any allegations of the company breaking laws.

This isn’t the first time union efforts have made headlines at Amazon. Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island successfully voted to unionize in 2022. Earlier this year, employees at a Philadelphia Whole Foods store, which is owned by Amazon, also voted for unionization. However, the grocery chain has since requested the NLRB to overturn those results.

Meanwhile, Amazon’s legal team recently joined SpaceX in challenging the NLRB’s structure, raising questions about the board’s constitutionality.