Unique trade statement on Amazon: "When Jeff Bezos was in space, we recruited people"

The trade union initiative has been opposed by the company.

- We want to thank (Amazon founder) Jeff Bezos for going to space, because when he was up there we recruited people, says the initiator Christian Smalls to journalists.

The union received support from 2,654 people (55 percent) while 2,131 voted against it (45 percent).

Amazon says it is disappointed with the result and is considering appealing.

Among other things, it is said that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), whose task is to protect employees' right to merge, has had "inappropriate and undue influence".

Amazon claims that a union would destroy the company's direct relationship with employees, without guarantees that employees will receive better pay or job security.

Smalls launched the initiative shortly after he was fired in March 2020. He had then organized a protest demanding that employees during the first major covid outbreak in New York should receive protective equipment.

In a similar poll in the state of Alabama at the end of last year, the no side barely won.

But that decision has been appealed, as a crucial number of votes are considered uncertain.