NLRB: Amazon illegally disrupted union activities at warehouse

Amazon is being accused of illegally calling the police on workers and firing a union activist.

According to a complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Monday, the incidents occurred as employees were preparing for a unionization vote in one of Amazon’s warehouses in 2022.

In the filing, the regional director of the NLRB accused the Seattle-based online retailer of violating federal labor law at a warehouse in Albany, New York. Specifically, they are accused of “interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed.” This is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act.

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According to Bloomberg, Amazon prohibited staff from talking about the union during work, and the company held “mandatory or effectively mandatory” anti-union meetings. They also banned employees from being on the property before or after their shift to discourage union organizing, enforcing it specifically on union activists.

Last August, the company is also accused of firing an employee because of their union activity, and the NLRB said that this is illegally discouraging other workers from participating in union activities.

Similar charges were brought against Amazon last fall in a warehouse in Staten Island, New York.

“These allegations are completely without merit, and we look forward to showing that through the legal process,” said Eileen Hards, a spokesperson for Amazon told Bloomberg. “Dozens of charges filed at ALB1 (the union) have already been dismissed by the NLRB, and we look forward to having these allegations dismissed as well.”

Monday’s complaint said Amazon should be forced to reinstate the activist with back pay and apologize.