Biden provides support for trade union organizing efforts

by

President BidenJoe BidenBiden supports efforts to organize unions Democrats in the Senate nix “Plan B” on raising the minimum wage Kavanaugh disgusts conservatives by avoiding pro-Trump election processes MORE On Sunday, he offered his support for union organizing efforts, while Amazon workers at a warehouse in Alabama vote on whether to unionize.

In a video posted on Twitter, the president told workers “in Alabama and across America” ​​who are considering joining a union that they are facing “a vital choice.”

He did not mention Amazon directly, but his video statement was released after nearly 6,000 warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, began voting earlier this month on the option to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Union. Store (RWDSU). If approved, the union would become the first in Amazon’s US operations.

“I said when I was in charge that my administration’s policy would be to support the organization of trade unions and the right to bargain collectively,” Biden said. “I keep my promise.”

“So let me be very clear: it’s not up to me to decide if someone should join a union,” he added. “But let me be clear: no employer should decide that. The choice to join a union is up to the workers – a complete point “.

Biden went on to say that workers should not face intimidation, coercion, threats, anti-union propaganda or questions from supervisors about their decision.

Ballot papers were sent for the union vote workers at the Bessemer depot earlier this month and must be returned to the regional office of the National Labor Relations Committee by March 29, CNBC reported.

The Bessemer facility was first opened in March 2020, but its workers soon expressed concerns about labor quotas, low wages and concerns about the lack of protection against COVID-19 – issues raised by employees in other Amazon locations.

Employees at the Alabama warehouse began organizing quietly in July before RWDSU filed a formal petition in November.

Amazon did not immediately return Hill’s request for comment. But a spokesman previously told The Hill that the union did not represent “the majority of our employees’ views”, while highlighting the company’s initial salary of $ 15.30.

The online retailer allegedly campaigned against unionization through a website and brochures that encourage workers to vote against the effort, according to Vice.

RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum praised Biden’s statement, saying that a union is “the best way for workers to protect themselves and their families.”

“And that’s why so many working women and men are fighting for a union at the Amazon unit in Bessemer, Alabama,” Appelbaum said in a statement.

.Source