Special: Amazon advises New York employees ‘do not sign’ union cards

Amazon, the second-largest company in the United States, has actually made plain its desire to keep its labor force from unionizing. In among its storage facilities, ALB1 in upstate New York, that message has actually ended up being crystal clear: “Don’t sign a card.”

Photos of the brand-new digital signs were sent out to Engadget by a staff member at the center. Their existence was verified by a 2nd staff member, David, who declares to have actually been at the satisfaction center around because its opening in2020 According to David (whose complete name is being kept for worry of retribution by his company), the carousel of anti-union posters increased today and cycles in between around 7 various slides, each actively dissuading employees from signing a union card. “It’s on a consistent loop while individuals type and punch out of their shifts,” he stated, “[when] they go on their breaks, or they go on their lunch. Whenever that we’re going to be up towards the front.”

Amazon has actually been understood to publish signs suggested to dissuade unionization at other centers. As Vice reported in March, employees at JFK8 in Staten Island, New York were dealt with to a variety of posters with scrupulous mottos like “Is union life for me?” and “Will the [Amazon Labor Union]’s voice change my own?” The signs at ALB1 appears to represent the most powerful tack the business has actually taken in revealing its ridicule for an arranged labor force. The business likewise has a performance history of breaking labor laws and aggravating arranging efforts: shooting or otherwise striking back versus employees, avoiding employees from distributing handouts, and interfering with a union election. Behind closed doors, the business likewise prepared a defamation of character versus a popular organizer.

We’ve asked both Amazon and the National Labor Relations Board for discuss the legality of this signs and will upgrade our story if get a reaction.

Workers at ALB1 have actually been pressing to form a union given that a minimum of May. It’s not yet clear if the arranging efforts are pointed towards signing up with Amazon Labor Union, the grassroots group that effectively voted to unionize among the Staten Island centers in April. That stated, based upon the brand-new signs, management at this satisfaction center appears to think about the group its main risk. Almost all of the indications particularly reference ALU, which the business calls “untried and unverified.” Another even recommends signing up with ALU would include quiting some procedure of individual privacy, though it’s unclear in what method. We’ve asked ALU for remark too and will upgrade this story if we hear back from the group.