After Amazon employees at a warehouse on Staten Island in New York somewhat unexpectedly voted to form a trade union club earlier in April, hopes were kindled that more local trade union groups would be formed.
This was the first time that they managed to organize in a union at one of the e-commerce giant's American workplaces.
But when employees at another warehouse on Staten Island voted, it was a no.
62 percent voted against joining the Amazon labor union (ALU).
Campaign against the union
Amazon has in several ways tried to prevent employees from forming a union.
Among other things, the company held several mandatory meetings where they tried to convince the staff about the negative with trade unions.
The company has also started a new website for the employees, where they were met with the message "Vote NO", writes the news agency AP.
"Right now, ALU is trying to stand between us", it says on the website.
Support from Sanders
At the time, it was not enough for ALU for Democrat-branded politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to take part in trade union demonstrations.
"You inspire millions of other workers across the country who look at you and think that if you succeed, so can the rest of us," Vermont Senator Sanders said last week, according to the Washington Post.
The proportion of part-time workers, which was higher in this warehouse, may also have affected the outcome, according to US assessors.
This is because they are less likely to organize.
Requires increased salaries
Amazon has over 1,100 warehouses in the United States.
Only in a handful of them have there been votes to join the union, and only in Staten Island have the employees voted yes.
Among other things, ALU is pushing for warehouse workers to receive higher wages and for safety in the workplace to be improved.