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Exploring the Ongoing Amazon Employee Disputes
In October, a federal judge will hear cases against Amazon filed by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union branch in Washington State. The union accuses Amazon of violating federal labor laws by firing two employees, Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, for openly speaking out against the company's climate policies during the pandemic.
Who are the affected employees?
Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa are User Experience Designers at Amazon and founding members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group pushing for environmental concerns within the company. They played significant roles in organizing Amazon workers who participated in a 2019 strike against the company's approach to climate change and spoke out against labor conditions in Amazon warehouses.
What allegations have been made against Amazon?
Workers have leveled accusations against Amazon for interfering with organizing efforts, founding unions, and negotiating wages. They allege that the two employees were dismissed in April 2020 due to participation in activities supporting Amazon warehouse workers in the United States. The UFCW filed a complaint accusing Amazon of firing the employees for their involvement and discouraging others from engaging in similar actions.
Amazon defended its stance, arguing that the employees were terminated not for criticizing their workplace conditions but for repeatedly violating internal company guidelines.
When will we know the outcome?
The virtual hearing before the administrative judge is estimated to span several days, with possible witness testimonies. While administrative judges do not typically deliver immediate decisions, both parties will be given the opportunity to submit written evaluations following the hearing, which could prolong a final ruling up to six months.
Have other employees accused Amazon of labor violations?
The accusations levied against Amazon by Cunningham and Costa are not an isolated incident. Federal authorities suspect Amazon of retaliating against labor advocates, as evidenced by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filing a complaint for wrongful termination against a warehouse worker in Pennsylvania in November.
According to NBC News' analysis of NLRB data between February 2020 and March this year, at least 37 retaliation claims were lodged against Amazon in 20 cities.
Inside Look:
- The labor law dispute between Amazon and Amazon Employees for Climate Justice has seen involvement from several unionization groups and individuals:
- Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE): They advocate for a union vote at the RDU1 Fulfillment Center in North Carolina, pushing for better pay, more paid time off, and greater job dignity. They have faced aggressive anti-union campaigns from Amazon management[1][3].
- Amazon Teamsters: With about 10,000 Amazon workers, they have orchestrated strikes in nine cities during peak seasons, pressuring Amazon to acknowledge their union and negotiate.
- Amazon Labor Union (ALU): Led by Chris Smalls, ALU is the first union at an Amazon warehouse in the United States. They have organized strikes and campaigns across the US, including collaborations with the Amazon Teamsters division[2][5].
- DXT4 Warehouse Workers in Quebec: They were the first to unionize at an Amazon facility in Canada. They faced layoffs and outsourcing of their jobs after Amazon announced the closure of all seven warehouses in Quebec, apparently to avoid signing a labor contract[4].
These groups and individuals fight for improved working conditions, higher wages, and union recognition at Amazon.
Sources:
Additional Information:
- The dispute between Amazon and the UFCW over the dismissal of Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa is ongoing, but some resolution has been achieved through the NLRB's actions.
- The NLRB found that Amazon's actions were retaliatory and unlawful. The board determined that the firings were illegal, resulting in a settlement involving back pay and notice-posting around employee rights to organize[4].
- The firings sparked public acts of solidarity from some Amazon corporate employees, leading to the resignation of Tim Bray, a vice president of Amazon Web Services, in response to the handling of the case[4].
Although the NLRB has ruled in favor of the employees, the broader implications and potential future actions or settlements in this dispute are not explicitly detailed in the provided sources. However, it is clear that the NLRB has found Amazon's actions to be in violation of labor laws, leading to some resolution for the employees involved.
