Biden Appears to Show Support for Amazon Workers Who Voted to Unionize

After warehouse workers on Staten Island formed a labor union, President Biden threw his support behind them and championed their cause.

The right of employees to unionize was defended by Mr. Biden in his speech to the national conference. You can watch.

The president was expressing his longstanding support for collective bargaining and unions, according to the White House press secretary.

He wasn't sending a message that the U.S. government would be involved in any of these efforts.

Mr. Biden, who has called himself the most pro-union president ever, said that he disapproves of the company's efforts to try to discourage it. Mr. Biden supported warehouse workers trying to unionize. The president did not call out the company by name.

He said in a direct-to-camera address that it was not up to him to decide if anyone should join a union. The National Labor Relations Board has filed a number of cases against Amazon, saying the company interfered with workers' right to unionize. Amazon does not deny that.

Many were surprised by the success of the unionization drive at the Staten Island warehouse. According to the National Labor Relations Board, 2,131 employees voted against representation by the Amazon Labor Union, but 2,654 employees voted in favor.

The labor movement is facing a perilous moment. Despite rising public approval for labor unions, high demand for workers and pockets of successful labor activity, the portion of U.S. workers in unions dropped last year to the lowest rate in decades.

Critics say that traditional unions have failed to devote enough resources into organizing campaigns and have often bet on the wrong fights.

Amazon is expected to contest the win. We are disappointed with the outcome of the election in Staten Island because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees.

During the Pandemic, Amazon went on a hiring spree which gave employees a sense of power and made them worry about workplace safety. It now has 1.6 million employees around the world, but has been plagued by high turnover. A New York Times investigation last year revealed how many of the problems at JFK8 were indicative of Amazon's employment model.

The National Labor Relations Board is accusing Amazon of violating worker's organizing rights. The main response to the union win was that the agency has lost its objectivity and was actively supporting the union, rather than being a neutral arbiter.

The agency said its actions against Amazon were in line with its mandate.

Karen Weise reported from Seattle. Noam was from Chicago.