Amazon warehouse workers have new chance to form union next month

Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse will get another chance to unionize next month, after a federal labor board set a February date for the rerun election.

The fresh vote comes after an official at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that Amazon had violated labor law in the union election held last year and ruled in November that workers must get another chance to vote.

The National Labor Relations Board said on Tuesday that workers at the plant in Bessemer would vote by mail in the new election. Ballots will be mailed out on 4 February and must be returned by 25 March. Counting starts three days later.

The company aggressively opposed organizing efforts, sought to postpone the election and bombarded workers with anti-union messaging.

The settlement outlined that Amazon workers, would have more room to organize within the buildings. The company previously banned workers from areas around facilities for 15 minutes before or after their shifts, making it difficult for workers to organize, according to the New York Times. Amazon pledged it would not threaten workers with discipline or call the police when they are engaging in union activity in exterior non-work areas during non-work time.