Nearly 6,000 Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, are deciding whether they want to form a union, the biggest labor push in the online shopping giant’s history.
The stakes are high for Amazon. The organizing in Bessemer could set off a chain reaction across its operations nationwide, including at Amazon fulfillment centers in Chattanooga and nearby Charleston, Tennessee where more than 3,000 workers are employed. Labor advocates hope what’s happening in Bessemer could inspire workers beyond Amazon to form a union.
But organizers face an uphill battle. Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the country, has a history of crushing unionizing efforts at its warehouses and its Whole Foods grocery stores.
Workers in Bessemer have until Monday to cast their votes. A majority of voters must vote “yes” in order to form a union.
Here’s more on the unionization efforts: