Amazon thanks workers for voting against unionizing, says less than 16% voted to join the union and counters the union's claims that Amazon won by intimidation

Thank you to employees at our BHM1 fulfillment center in Alabama for participating in the election.

About Amazon 2021-04-10

Context & Ripple Effects

Amazon is framing the BHM1 result as a clear rejection of union representation after the vote count showed 1,798 ballots against and 738 for. The company had already run an intensive anti-union campaign, including frequent worker texts and workplace flyers, while later reporting detailed captive-audience meetings used during the drive.

The result gives Amazon an immediate public case for its employment approach, even as the union disputes the conditions under which the vote was held. Related coverage characterizes the election as a turning point in Amazon labor relations rather than a routine site-level vote.

First-order effects

Amazon can cite the BHM1 vote and its sub-16% support figure in defending its anti-union position and rebutting the union's intimidation allegations.
The union loses its first bid to organize the Alabama fulfillment center, while BHM1 workers remain without union representation following the election.

Second-order effects

Amazon's messaging turns the Alabama outcome into a reference point for future organizing campaigns, putting unions under pressure to counter the company's account of why workers voted no.
The campaign tactics documented in related coverage become central to the labor dispute: Amazon treats them as legitimate employee outreach, while the union's intimidation claims make the process itself a contested issue.

Third-order effects

If Amazon continues to use the BHM1 result as validation, warehouse labor relations are likely to be shaped by increasingly organized employer communications campaigns alongside union efforts to challenge those tactics.
The Alabama vote establishes a test case for whether a failed organizing drive at one Amazon facility deters or instead sharpens future union campaigns against the company.

The trend: Amazon's Alabama vote is part of a widening contest over whether large employers can preserve direct workplace relationships through intensive anti-union campaigning.

Discussion

@marcos_galperin Marcos Galperin on x
Amazon Workers Defeat Union Drive at Alabama Warehouse (71% vs 29%) https://www.nytimes.com/...
@emilybest Emily Best on x
This is very grim. https://twitter.com/...
@juliamanhattan Julia Vitullo-Martin on x
Scholars will be arguing about @amazon for decades to come. A worker who voted against the union: “Amazon is the only job I know where they pay your health insurance from Day 1. This was not an African-American issue,” said Ms. Stokes, who is Black. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@faizashaheen Faiza Shaheen on x
The vote today at the Alabama Amazon warehouse is extremely disappointing. Makes no sense that people would vote against having more rights and a voice in their workplace. We need to think again about how we are communicating the case for organising & tus https://www.nytimes.com/…
@cfishman @cfishman on x
The union defeat at Amazon's Alabama facility is dramatic & stunning. Vote not close: • 1,798 votes against union • 738 in favor of union 71% to 29% — union failed to persuade workers of its value, in a very tightly managed workplace. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@senwarren Elizabeth Warren on x
The @BAmazonUnion workers have shown incredible courage to stand up and fight one of the world's most powerful union-busting companies in one of the most anti-labor states in the country. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@sensherrodbrown Sherrod Brown on x
This was never a fair fight. Workers should have the freedom to organize a union free from corporate intimidation, and that's no longer the reality in our country. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@alfonslopeztena Alfons Lpez Tena on x
A crushing blow for organized labor: Amazon appears to have beaten its biggest labor threat so far. A vote tally showed a majority of workers at an Alabama warehouse voted against a union https://www.nytimes.com/...
@rebeccaarainey Rebecca Rainey on x
Amazon has released a statement on the union election results in Alabama “It's easy to predict the union will say that Amazon won this election because we intimidated employees, but that's not true. Our employees heard far more anti-Amazon messages ...” https://www.aboutamazon.co…
@mchightower Morgan Hightower on x
NEW: @amazon releases statement after workers in AL vote against unionizing: “Thank you to employees at our BHM1 fulfillment center in Alabama for participating in the election. There's been a lot of noise over the past few months... https://www.aboutamazon.com/ ...
@mehdirhasan Mehdi Hasan on x
If you want to understand why the Amazon union vote in Bessemer is so important, and why the U.S. economy is so rigged in favor of the wealthy, so unequal, this one graph - that we aired on my @MSNBC show on Sunday night - should do the trick: https://twitter.com/...
@revdrbarber @revdrbarber on x
The Amazon workers who voted for a union in Bessemer are already winners. This is just the first round. Amazon did things to intimidate & suppress the vote. The workers are filing complaints, & they will continue to stand up.
@franifio Francesca Fiorentini on x
Amazon defeats union drive effort in Bessemer, Alabama (with shady & possibly illegal tactics). But I wouldn't bet on this being over, Bessemer workers have inspired the nation. https://twitter.com/...
@greenhousenyt Steven Greenhouse on x
The big takeaway from the Amazon loss should be that the playing field is tilted heavily against unions when facing anti-union employers. Amazon had access to its workers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, while U.S. law let Amazon bar union organizers from entering the warehouse htt…
@maxberger Max Berger on x
Amazon broke many laws in their efforts to bust the union. There will be another election soon. The results today aren't the end of the fight. They're just the beginning. https://twitter.com/...
@karaswisher Kara Swisher on x
Big deal though employee issues will be on Amazon's front burner for a while: Workers at Amazon warehouse in Alabama reject unionization, a major win for the e-commerce giant https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@amazonnews @amazonnews on x
2/2 In the end, less than 16% of the employees at BHM1 voted to join the RWDSU union. Read more here. https://www.aboutamazon.com/ ...
@seiu @seiu on x
Changing stoplights. Pressuring USPS to move mailboxes. Anti-union propaganda in bathrooms. Despite knowing the game is rigged, workers bravely challenged the richest man in the world. We must make it easier for us to join together in a union. #Amazon https://www.cnbc.com/...
@delrey Jason Del Rey on x
Final tallies: 1,798 votes against unionizing 738 votes for unionizing 505 challenged ballots (not enough to impact final result) 76 voided ballots https://twitter.com/...
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
The union lost the vote. Does that mean Amazon PR clowned themselves on Twitter for nothing? https://www.cnbc.com/...
@epro Emil Protalinski on x
Jeff Bezos and Amazon will draw the wrong conclusion here, namely that being aggressive was “worth it” because it brought results. But this will not be the last time Amazon workers attempt to unionize, which should make the company rethink its approach. https://twitter.com/...
@cvpayne Charles V Payne on x
Workers Reject Unionization A massive, humiliating, bone-crushing, defeat in Amazon vote for the Biden Agenda and unions. Ironically, union officials are upset a mailbox was installed outside Bessemer facility. WTH I thought a lack of mailboxes for election ballots was racist
@greenhousenyt Steven Greenhouse on x
For labor, there's a silver lining if the union loses at Amazon—it's shining a spotlight on how tilted the playing field is against unions during organizing drives. That could build support for the PRO Act—the most pro-union piece of legislation in decades https://www.washingtonp…
@alexmorash Alex Morash on x
I said before the vote counting started at Amazon it is close to impossible to win a union vote as long as companies can move heaven and earth to change the outcome. It is time to open our eyes and see that workers have almost no rights in this country. https://www.washingtonpost…
@laurenkgurley Lauren Kaori Gurley on x
BREAKING: Amazon has secured the majority of votes (1,608) in the @BAmazonUnion. The NLRB has not declared the company victorious, and union has indicated that it will file objections to Amazon's conduct during the election. https://www.vice.com/...
@samleecole Samantha Cole on x
“Our system is broken, Amazon took full advantage of that, and we will be calling on the labor board to hold Amazon accountable for its illegal and egregious behavior during the campaign” https://www.vice.com/...
@lorenzofb Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai on x
BREAKING: Amazon has secured a majority of “no” votes in Bessemer, Alabama. The retail giant has defeated its workers' attempt to unionize. https://www.vice.com/...
@deitaone @deitaone on x
*About 71% of Amazon Workers Voted ‘No’ to Union, Wall Street Journal Count Shows
@josephfcox Joseph Cox on x
Breaking: Amazon has enough votes to bust the Bessemer union https://www.vice.com/...
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
The Labor Board has now counted over 1,608 “No” votes in the Amazon union election, meaning a majority of all the 3,215 ballots cast (even if the challenged ones were also counted) are “No” https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
Follow @annierpalmer for the latest on the Amazon union vote count so far. Amazon has a very wide lead 1,448 to 599 https://www.cnbc.com/...
@greene Jay Greene on x
Emails obtained through FOIA show Amazon pressed Postal Service for mailbox at Bessemer warehouse, a move the union fighting to represent warehouse workers believes violates labor law https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@bradstone Brad Stone on x
Amazon currently lapping the union 2 to 1 in Bessemer. A legal battle will ensue if Amzn wins - did they bully workers into voting ‘no’? But the simplest explanation is that employees value their jobs and didn't see how the RWDSU would improve their lot.
@erikloomis Erik Loomis on x
Few things on the Amazon vote: 1) When was the last time (ever?) that the Times had a live vote counter on a union election? 2) Amazon is challenging hundreds of votes and so the final tally is likely to be much much closer than this https://www.nytimes.com/...
@dandhnguyen01 @dandhnguyen01 on x
Ok folks. The NYT posted a live tally of the Alabama Amazon vote on unionization https://www.nytimes.com/...
@ethancharlatan Ethan on x
“With about half the ballots counted late Thursday, votes against unionization had a more than 2-to-1 advantage over those in favor. When the counting paused, there were 1,100 votes against unionization and 463 in support.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@delrey Jason Del Rey on x
@danprimack Bloomberg Law article in October said turnout was 69% for private sector mail-in elections up to that point in 2020. But do wonder if high Amazon worker turnover plays a role
@comradesanchez Jos on x
God, how do you lose an election like this ... ? https://twitter.com/...
@jason_koebler Jason Koebler on x
NEW: NLRB is counting votes in Bessemer, Alabama Amazon union drive https://www.vice.com/...
@mattmday Matt Day on x
NLRB about to get started counting ballots in the Amazon union vote. Going over the rules and etc now. Amazon, RWDSU observers, and a whole lot of media and gawkers tuning in to one big Zoom call.
@daveleeft Dave Lee on x
Amazon union vote count is starting. Union needs majority of returned votes to win. Tie would go to Amazon.
@brandonmagner Brandon Magner on x
This election result is almost certainly getting set aside in the case of a union loss. https://twitter.com/...
@grimkim Kim Kelly on x
Update on that sketchy mailbox Amazon had installed in front of its Bessemer warehouse during the @BAmazonUnion mail-in election: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
“Emails among U.S. Postal Service employees in January and February show that Amazon pressed to install a mailbox outside its Bessemer, Ala., warehouse, revelations the union battling to organize workers there say violate labor laws.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... @greene h…
@rwdsu @rwdsu on x
After the NLRB denied Amazon's request for a dropbox on the warehouse property, Amazon went ahead and requested it anyway. “They did this because it provided a clear ability to intimidate workers” -@sappelbaum #UnionBustingIsDisgusting #BAmazonUnion https://www.washingtonpost.com…
@maxberger Max Berger on x
Amazon told The Washington Post it wasn't their idea to put a mailbox outside the Bessemer warehouse to collect union ballots. New reporting shows Amazon lied. @NLRB denied their request for a mailbox, but they pressured USPS to install it anyway. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ …
Vox Jason Del Rey on x
The Amazon union vote is over. Here's what happens now.
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
“I am disappointed but not surprised by the vote,” @BernieSanders says. “Workers should not be intimidated, or badgered by a company because they are exercising their constitutional right to form a union.” https://twitter.com/...
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
Amazon statement: “the union will say that Amazon won this election because we intimidated employees, but that's not true...Our employees heard far more anti-Amazon messages from the union, policymakers and media outlets than they heard from us.” https://www.bloomberg.com/... htt…
@drixander Dri on x
This on the Amazon vote has more context about union organizing drives: https://www.bloomberg.com/... Feel conflicted about this, how difficult it was always going to be, the unrealistic? build up that creates more disappointment, whether it actually creates more power down the l…
@mcbyrne @mcbyrne on x
Well when former democratic WH staffers go on to be union busters, what hope to wage workers have? https://twitter.com/...
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
“The history of the labor movement has been about failing forward,” says Rutgers professor Janice Fine. “Even when they lose...they've framed a moral dilemma for the community that they're organizing in—or for the country.” https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
Asked @RWDSU head if there's anything he would've done differently in areas like when they filed for election or the agreement to let many more vote. “We felt we had no choice,” he said, because “we were afraid” otherwise “it would be a long, long time” before workers could vote.…
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
Amazon employee Emmit Ashford earlier today: “If we had to lose this election here in Bessemer for people across the United States to succeed, that is the point - our time will come around and next time we will win” https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
“Being under the watchful eye and control of the employer all day long—and subject to the messages of the employer, for which there's no equal time for the union—detracts from it really being a fair and free election,” says former NLRB Chair Wilma Liebman https://www.bloomberg.co…
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
Neither NLRB elections nor alternative “comprehensive campaigns” have won unions any formal foothold at firms like Amazon or Walmart. That makes their labor law reform push more urgent - but their political power is hurt by their declining workplace power https://www.bloomberg.co…
@quicktake Bloomberg Quicktake on x
Amazon workers at an Alabama warehouse voted not to join a retail union. But Bloomberg's @EdLudlow tells @TimSteno: “Amazon is such a big employer, the potential for the labor movement is there” https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@stevematthews12 Steve Matthews on x
Labor union membership has been declining for many decades and it's hard to think of a more conservative, anti-union state than Alabama, so the Amazon defeat should hardly have been a surprise to anyone paying attention. https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @bpolitics @economics $AM…
@retailprophet Doug Stephens on x
Meanwhile, society wonders why we have a vanishing middle-class. https://twitter.com/...
@jordynjournals Jordyn Holman on x
Read the latest from my colleague @josheidelson on the defeat of the Amazon union in Alabama: “The bigger challenges were the structural disadvantages that face workers trying to organize at any major nonunion company in the U.S.” https://twitter.com/...
@josheidelson Josh Eidelson on x
New @BW: The Amazon vote is a painful defeat for labor, & a familiar one: Union victories in big labor board elections at the top non-union US companies, absent a deal beforehand restricting anti-union tactics, are pretty much unheard of in recent decades https://www.bloomberg.co…

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