This is a BFD: President Biden just spoke out in support of a unionizing drive at Amazon's Bessemer warehouse in Alabama, where over 6,000 workers are about to vote whether to form Amazon's first unionized warehouse in the US.1
This could pave the way for more worker organizing against the dangerous Big Tech behemoth.
In response, Amazon hired a Koch-backed anti-union consultant to help thwart the crucial election.2
Organizing a union at a monopolistic company Amazon isn't easy. Jeff Bezos is using every bit of the power and wealth he has amassed to stop workers. We need to stand with them -- by regulating and breaking up Amazon's power, making it easier for workers to organize.
Sign the petition: Stand in solidarity with Alabama workers—Congress must break up Amazon!
Biden spoke against efforts by employers like Amazon to intimidate, coerce, threaten, and feed their workers anti-unionization propaganda.
It is a hopeful sign that Biden will stand by the labor law he campaigned on—but a real show of solidarity with workers would mean dismantling Amazon's monstrous monopoly.
Amazon's intimidation efforts include sending text blasts to workers warning against unionization, Facebook ads pressuring workers to vote “no,” and requiring workers to attend "classes" at which instructors have intimidated pro-union workers by threatening them with wage reductions. They've even flooded Twitter with accounts propagating strategic anti-union messaging.
Throughout the pandemic, Amazon has violently pursued profits at the expense of workers' health and safety. They've responded to workers' concerns over life-threatening labor conditions with increased surveillance and higher productivity quotas.
As workers' demands have been ignored, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' net worth has spiked more than 70%, putting him well on track to becoming the world's first trillionaire by 2026.3
A monopoly the size of Amazon needs to be met with aggressive antitrust laws now.
Sign the petition: Stand in solidarity with Alabama workers—Congress must break up Amazon!
Sources:
1. NPR, "Biden Backs Amazon Warehouse Workers' Union Drive,", March 1, 2021
2. The Intercept, "Amazon Hired Koch-Backed Anti-Union Consultant to Fight Alabama Warehouse Organizing," February 10, 2021.
3. The Nation, "As Pandemic Profits Put Bezos on Track for Trillionaire Status, Tish James Asks: At What Cost?" February 23, 2021.