After one of the company's warehouses voted to join a union last week, President Joe Biden expressed his support.
Biden said that the choice to join a union belonged to workers alone. You can watch.
On Friday, workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York voted overwhelmingly to join the Amazon Labor Union, a grassroots organization made up of current and former company employees. The outcome of the election was a big deal for labor organizers, who have been trying to unionize Amazon warehouse and delivery workers for years.
Amazon ran an aggressive campaign to discourage workers from unionizing at the Staten Island warehouse, just as it did at an Alabama warehouse last spring, where workers rejected unionization. The Alabama warehouse had a do-over election on Friday, but the results were challenged.
In March 2021, Biden endorsed union drives in Alabama and across the country, but he stopped short of naming Amazon specifically. Employers were discouraged from interfering in elections.
Biden said at the time that there should be no intimidation, no threats, and no anti-union propaganda.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Biden extolled the benefits of unions, arguing that union members get higher wages, improved benefits and safer workplace.
He called on Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which would protect workers trying to organize and limit employee interference in union campaigns. The Senate is stalling the PRO Act.
The Staten Island vote is expected to lead to more unionization attempts at Amazon and other companies. The Amazon Labor Union is trying to organize a Staten Island warehouse. The election is expected to start later this month.
Representatives from Amazon did not respond to a request for comment on Biden's remarks.
The president breaks down future decisions after the Amazon Labor Union win.
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