Amazon workers at fulfillment centre reject unionisation

Amazon.com Inc employees at its fulfillment centre have voted to reject unionisation in the US.

According to John Carr, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, (IAMAW) the majority of 27 technicians at an Amazon fulfillment centre in Middletown Delaware, voted to reject a union.

The vote, held late yesterday, polled 21 against and six in favour of a union vote.

According to Carr, that number was a clear reflection that the tactics Amazon and its law firm employed proved to be very effective. He added, under the intense pressures faced by the workers on the shop floor, it was an uphill battle all the way.

The vote, which was the first at an Amazon fulfillment center, was scheduled last month after a petition was filed by members of the group with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for organising a union.

Bloomberg quoted an employee in the unsuccessful organising effort as saying, given the limited promotion opportunities, and a constantly rotating chain of managers, the group comprising electricians, machinists and engineers was not happy with the conditions. The employee requested anonymity, as he feared retribution.

According to Reuters, the vote came as a symbolic test of Amazon's employee relations policies, but had no impact on the vast majority of the 1,500 or so packers and shippers who work at the Middletown, Delaware facility, one among over 40 distribution centres in the US.

What it means is that under NLRB rules, another vote on unionisation at the facility cannot be held for one year.

"Our employees have made it clear that they prefer a direct connection with Amazon," said Mary Osako, an Amazon spokeswoman, in an emailed statement.

According to Carr, the workers at Amazon faced intense pressure from managers and anti-union consultants hired to suppress the organising drive.

He added that the union would continue to work with the Amazon technicians with the aim of organising union representation.

Much like its brick-and-mortar rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the Seattle-based Amazon discouraged any kind of union activity at its operations.

Labour groups, in turn, have been making efforts to organise in the retail sector.

In an un-related development yesterday, the NLRB issued a complaint against Wal-Mart alleging violation of labour laws by the  world's largest retailer in 14 states by taking action against striking workers.