Amazon workers in Alabama will have third labor union vote after judge finds illegal influence

The Associated Press/Report For America

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Amazon workers in Alabama will have the opportunity decide whether to unionize for the third time in three years. A federal administrative judge ruled on Tuesday that the retail giant improperly influenced the most recent election, in which employees rejected a bid to unionize. The judge said that Amazon representatives surveilled employees’ union activities and threatened employees with plant closure if they voted with the union. Silverstein’s decision is the latest development in a nationwide legal battle involving Amazon, the National Labor Relations Board, some state governments and unions spearheading unionization efforts. Both Amazon and the union that organized the vote in Bessemer plan to appeal the judge’s order.