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Amazon to appeal union victory at NYC warehouse
STORY: Amazon is objecting to the formation of the company’s first labor union, which was voted on last week by workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York City.In a legal filing, Amazon accused union organizers of threatening workers at its JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island to vote in favor of the union.Some 55% of the workers voted to join the Amazon Labor Union, or ALU, a group established by current and former employees. It has demanded higher pay and job security. Amazon said it will appeal the vote by arguing that the ALU interfered with employees while they waited on line to vote, and that long wait times to cast ballots depressed turnout.Roughly 58% of eligible voters cast ballots in person over three days.An attorney representing the ALU dismissed Amazon’s claims as false saying (quote), “To say that the Amazon Labor Union was threatening employees is really absurd. The Amazon Labor Union is Amazon employees.”Since the result, U.S. workers from another 50 Amazon sites have contacted the union, the group’s leader has said.And on Thursday, President Joe Biden, while touting the creation of a White House task force on worker organization and empowerment, appeared to take a swipe at the online behemoth.“Amazon, here we come. Watch. Watch.” [applause]The U.S. National Labor Relations Board gave Amazon until April 22 to file proof for its appeal.
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