United States: home stretch for Amazon workers fighting for a union
Audio 01:16
A sign with "Vote" written on the facade of the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, March 27, 2021. AFP - PATRICK T. FALLON
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
It's the last day of voting for the 5,800 workers at Amazon's warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama.
They must vote for or against the creation of a union.
It would be a first for the online distribution giant in the United States.
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With our special correspondent in Alabama,
Anne Corpet
“
What do we want?
A union,
”
chant a few employees in downtown Birmingham.
“Employees are being made redundant for no reason.
There are a lot of things that need to change, to be improved.
We want respect, we want dignity and we fight for it
, ”says Darry Richardson.
He has been working for a year in the Amazon warehouse about twenty kilometers away.
It was he who contacted the trade union in the distribution sector following a derogatory remark from a superior because he had used the bathroom.
But when it leaves the Bessemer warehouse, opinions are more mixed.
Renée acknowledges that the job is tough but finds her job fairly well paid and says she doesn't need a union: “
As long as you keep a low profile and do your job, Amazon is a good place to work.
Particularly because they offer excellent health coverage.
That's what I'm here for.
"
Bernie Sanders in support
Coming on site at the weekend to support the struggling employees, Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders assured that a union victory would have repercussions throughout the United States.
Amazon, the country's second-largest employer, has spent a fortune
campaigning against unionization of employees
who speak out against harsh working conditions.
► To (re) listen: Stuart Appelbaum, president of the American union RWDSU, leads the battle at Amazon
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Stuart Appelbaum, president of the American union RWDSU, leads the battle at Amazon