• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

"Solidarity with Bessemer, Alabama Amazon Workers!" (Article) (Anyone else know about this?)

Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
Apparently nobody is talking about this and not the media especially:

southernworker.org

SWA Council of Amazon Workers - Southern Workers Assembly

SWA Council of Amazon Workers - Southern Workers Assembly
southernworker.org southernworker.org

Between Feb 8, and March 29, approximately 6,000 Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama will begin voting by mail on whether to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale Department Store Workers Union (RWDSU). The harsh working conditions at Amazon warehouses, along with Amazon's refusal to adopt measures that protect workers from COVID 19, have pushed Amazon and Whole Foods workers every- where to step up organizing and fighting back.

These predominantly Black workers who have in recent months formed the BAmazon Workers Union, are on the cusp of launching a history-changing workers organization against one of the biggest and most powerful transnational corporations in the world, and its super rich union busting owner, Jeff Bezos. In addition, these workers are standing up to the racist, anti-union laws that suppress labor across the South.

Solidarity from every corner of the labor and progressive movements is needed now to show the workers in Bessemer that they are not alone, that all eyes are on the historic struggle that they are leading. This is especially needed as Amazon ramps up their union-busting tactics.

Solidarity actions are being planned across the South and the U.S. on February 20 at Amazon facilities (warehouses, distribution centers, Whole Foods, etc.).

See below for an initial listing of actions planned. If you would like to organize an action in your area, please email [email protected] with details of what you're planning.

An up to date list of actions, toolkits and other materials will be maintained at https://southernworker.org/amazon
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

There's supposed be actions planned along the South, especially in Bessemer, Alabama.

Anyone know about this?
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
Don Fluffles said:
Just heard about this.
I hope they win.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Here's more info:

peoplesworld.org

Why the Alabama Amazon struggle matters to workers everywhere

Sometimes a fight at one particular workplace can be so important that workers and their allies everywhere need to take notice. The struggle going on right now at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, is one of those fights.
peoplesworld.org peoplesworld.org

No Amazon facility anywhere in the U.S. has a union, and the company is doing everything it can to make sure Bessemer isn't the first.

Harassing texts blow up employees' phones five times a day. Wall-to-wall propaganda posters badmouth the union. Traffic light timing outside the warehouse was shortened, leaving union canvassers fewer seconds to talk to employees leaving work. Constant meetings are held to enforce the idea that the union is a greedy outsider eager to get its claws on workers' paychecks.

A slick company website claims a union "is a business that makes money from dues." It says unions don't bring better wages and benefits. Improving "service to our customers" is offered as the only way to make life on the job better and more secure.

Workers can't even escape the anti-union message when they're sitting on the toilet; company flyers urging a "no" vote are plastered in every stall. Amazon pulled a Trump move when it tried to block workers from voting by mail, saying they had to show up in person for crowded voting on their own time. (Luckily, the National Labor Relations Board stepped in to nix that one.)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Very interesting. 6,000 people are going to vote this evening and there are demonstrations planned. We'll definitely see how this goes. More power to them.
 
cephus

cephus

Member
Oct 28, 2017
185
I hope they vote to unionize, and I hope that somehow this leads to other retail companies having their workers unionize. But I've witnessed first-hand how much anti-union rhetoric there is to turn people against them from a young age. So many other educators while I was in my internship were teaching students that unions are bad for business, greedy, and that union workers are just lazy and don't want to work hard. If you ever doubt that organizing works, just look at how much effort is put into preventing it and you'll see that unions can make a difference.

That said, I really hope this works out. Would be a huge step in the right direction for worker's rights in this country.
 
JonaB1986

JonaB1986

Member
Sep 15, 2020
253
I pretty much live in Bessemer. It's a big deal around here. I have a few friends that work there. The last big rally a week and half ago Bernie Sanders had a ton of pizza delivered to them. Love good ole Bernie.
 
scurker

scurker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
656
I live in Birmingham, which is near Bessemer. It's been in the news for weeks.

www.nytimes.com

Opinion | Don’t Look Away From Amazon Workers’ Latest Union Drive (Published 2021)

Americans should contemplate the human cost of speedy delivery.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
www.wbur.org

One Amazon Warehouse Worker In Alabama Has 'No Doubt' Her Coworkers Will Vote To Unionize

Past efforts at organizing Amazon warehouse workers have failed, but workers in Bessemer, Alabama, think this time will be different.
www.wbur.org www.wbur.org
www.npr.org

In Alabama, Workers At Amazon Warehouse Are Poised For Union Vote

Some 5,800 workers at the Bessemer facility will vote starting this week on joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, potentially making it Amazon's first union shop in the U.S.
www.npr.org www.npr.org

And of course Amazon has been playing nicely like the good union friendly company they are. Union advocates have made a claim that traffic lights were changed so that the union could not talk to workers at the light.

www.al.com

Jefferson County now says traffic lights were changed near Amazon

The union organizing at Amazon's Bessemer fulfillment center said the traffic lights were changed at the company's request.
www.al.com www.al.com

And I believe some of the articles should mention how Amazon has been pressuring workers to vote "no" against the union, and even tried to push for the union to only allow in-person voting at the warehouse and not by private mail-in ballots.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
scurker said:
I live in Birmingham, which is near Bessemer. It's been in the news for weeks.

www.nytimes.com

Opinion | Don’t Look Away From Amazon Workers’ Latest Union Drive (Published 2021)

Americans should contemplate the human cost of speedy delivery.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
www.wbur.org

One Amazon Warehouse Worker In Alabama Has 'No Doubt' Her Coworkers Will Vote To Unionize

Past efforts at organizing Amazon warehouse workers have failed, but workers in Bessemer, Alabama, think this time will be different.
www.wbur.org www.wbur.org
www.npr.org

In Alabama, Workers At Amazon Warehouse Are Poised For Union Vote

Some 5,800 workers at the Bessemer facility will vote starting this week on joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, potentially making it Amazon's first union shop in the U.S.
www.npr.org www.npr.org

And of course Amazon has been playing nicely like the good union friendly company they are. Union advocates have made a claim that traffic lights were changed so that the union could not talk to workers at the light.

www.al.com

Jefferson County now says traffic lights were changed near Amazon

The union organizing at Amazon's Bessemer fulfillment center said the traffic lights were changed at the company's request.
www.al.com www.al.com

And I believe some of the articles should mention how Amazon has been pressuring workers to vote "no" against the union, and even tried to push for the union to only allow in-person voting at the warehouse and not by private mail-in ballots.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Yeah, well, I don't often see this from cable news (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC) even though this is a huge deal.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
Anyone have word on how it went? I know that a friend of mine actually gave a stump speech in Pittsburgh somewhere.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
Last post because I think I'm pushing it (this would be my fourth post in a row) but how aware are people of this event? Trying to gauge how much people know of what's going on.
 
chaostrophy

chaostrophy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,378
There was reporting on the vote leading up to the vote, but now that the vote is happening or has happened...nothing. Really strange.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
chaostrophy said:
There was reporting on the vote leading up to the vote, but now that the vote is happening or has happened...nothing. Really strange.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Here's more info on it from yesterday:

paydayreport.com

Amazon Offers $2,000 “Resignation Bonuses” to Bust Union Drive in...

As the historic union election at Amazon in Alabama heats up, Amazon is pulling all the tricks to stop the union. In violation of Amazon's social distancing policy, Amazon has forced workers to attend anti-union meetings and sent workers constant text messages daily, hinting that a union could...
paydayreport.com paydayreport.com

It does seem like only small news outlets are covering this.
 
Lonestar

Lonestar

Roll Tahd, Pawl
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
3,556
JonaB1986 said:
I pretty much live in Bessemer. It's a big deal around here. I have a few friends that work there. The last big rally a week and half ago Bernie Sanders had a ton of pizza delivered to them. Love good ole Bernie.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
scurker said:
I live in Birmingham, which is near Bessemer. It's been in the news for weeks.

www.nytimes.com

Opinion | Don’t Look Away From Amazon Workers’ Latest Union Drive (Published 2021)

Americans should contemplate the human cost of speedy delivery.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
www.wbur.org

One Amazon Warehouse Worker In Alabama Has 'No Doubt' Her Coworkers Will Vote To Unionize

Past efforts at organizing Amazon warehouse workers have failed, but workers in Bessemer, Alabama, think this time will be different.
www.wbur.org www.wbur.org
www.npr.org

In Alabama, Workers At Amazon Warehouse Are Poised For Union Vote

Some 5,800 workers at the Bessemer facility will vote starting this week on joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, potentially making it Amazon's first union shop in the U.S.
www.npr.org www.npr.org

And of course Amazon has been playing nicely like the good union friendly company they are. Union advocates have made a claim that traffic lights were changed so that the union could not talk to workers at the light.

www.al.com

Jefferson County now says traffic lights were changed near Amazon

The union organizing at Amazon's Bessemer fulfillment center said the traffic lights were changed at the company's request.
www.al.com www.al.com

And I believe some of the articles should mention how Amazon has been pressuring workers to vote "no" against the union, and even tried to push for the union to only allow in-person voting at the warehouse and not by private mail-in ballots.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Either of you watch any twitch content recently?

As someone else in the greater Birmingham area, every twitch commercial that airs, has been for Anti-Union Voting for the Bessemer warehouse, featuring people who claim to be workers at Amazon. Kind of jarring, but makes sense, since Twitch=Amazon. Lots of "why should I let someone else vote for what kind of insurance I want" and "I already get great benefits" jargon.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
scurker

scurker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
656
Lonestar said:
Either of you watch any twitch content recently?

As someone else in the greater Birmingham area, every twitch commercial that airs, has been for Anti-Union Voting for the Bessemer warehouse, featuring people who claim to be workers at Amazon. Kind of jarring, but makes sense, since Twitch=Amazon. Lots of "why should I let someone else vote for what kind of insurance I want" and "I already get great benefits" jargon.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I very rarely watch twitch, but that's interesting. Seems like an unusual place to air those ads, I have no idea if that's actually an effective location for any workers who might actually be working in the warehouse.
 
JonaB1986

JonaB1986

Member
Sep 15, 2020
253
Lonestar said:
Either of you watch any twitch content recently?

As someone else in the greater Birmingham area, every twitch commercial that airs, has been for Anti-Union Voting for the Bessemer warehouse, featuring people who claim to be workers at Amazon. Kind of jarring, but makes sense, since Twitch=Amazon. Lots of "why should I let someone else vote for what kind of insurance I want" and "I already get great benefits" jargon.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I watch a decent amount of Twitch but I don't think I've seen any of these ads. Though it's definitely unsurprising that they are.
 
nel e nel

nel e nel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,134
chaostrophy said:
There was reporting on the vote leading up to the vote, but now that the vote is happening or has happened...nothing. Really strange.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

From the Guardian article already posted:


The National Labor Relations Board mailed out ballots on 8 February, and the 5,800 workers are to mail back their ballots by 29 March. The labor board will then count the ballots, and if a majority of workers vote to unionize, Amazon will be required by federal law to recognize and bargain with the RWDSU.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
Lonestar

Lonestar

Roll Tahd, Pawl
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
3,556


Here's two of them.

These seem to be location targeted, I get these at home, but not at work.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
leder said:
Godspeed. Anything we can do from the sidelines?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I'm trying to find some sort of fund right now, but they're all tallying the votes right now so I believe the time for funding is pretty much over. I would get active in your area. Join an org. At the very least, spread the word of the Bessemer vote.
 
Mekanos

Mekanos

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,118
Comrade Grogu said:
Teen Vogue is at least covering this, of all things.

www.teenvogue.com

Why Amazon’s Union Vote Is Such a Huge Deal

This is bigger than just one warehouse, or one company.
www.teenvogue.com www.teenvogue.com
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Teen Vogue has been woke for a minute.

32281392_2153305151351789_8747513750929539072_n-655x675.png
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
www.peoplesworld.org

Virginia comes out to support Alabama Amazon workers

ARLINGTON, Va.—On Saturday, Feb. 20, the Southern Workers Assembly coordinated over 40 solidarity events around the country in support of the workers at the Bessemer, Ala., Amazon facility who are currently in the midst of a vote to unionize their workplace.
www.peoplesworld.org www.peoplesworld.org


Not really much, and it was a light showing, though I've heard of other works of solidarity around the South.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
*Sigh* I'll try to update this thread as long as the mods will allow me. Hopefully, others can find more info on this.
 

Deleted member 2699

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
619
Solidarity with the workers in my home state. It legit makes me happy to see the (often overlooked) legacy of labor organizing in the South continue.
 
S1lentSymph0ny

S1lentSymph0ny

Member
Oct 27, 2017
828
Comrade Grogu said:
Here's another article:

jacobinmag.com

It Didn’t Take Long for Joe Biden to Betray the Labor Movement

After promising to be “the most pro-union president you’ve ever seen,” Joe Biden is staying silent as Amazon workers try to unionize in Alabama. It could be because he’s just being Joe Biden — or it could be because of the massive leverage and influence the company exerts through its size.
jacobinmag.com jacobinmag.com
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah that's a shame but let's be honest, we knew what we were getting with Joe Biden. This is the way things are meant to work in the US. Say the right things, but when its time to act, do the things that make the donors happy.
 
OP
OP
Comrade Grogu

Comrade Grogu

Banned
Jun 20, 2020
4,090
S1lentSymph0ny said:
Yeah that's a shame but let's be honest, we knew what we were getting with Joe Biden. This is the way things are meant to work in the US. Say the right things, but when its time to act, do the things that make the donors happy.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Yes, and Amazon is a huge donor of the Biden campaign. Indeed, Biden and the government are working hand-in-hand to provide vaccinations across the country. Why? Because the government infrastructure is already gutted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.