Amazon warehouse workers in Garner, North Carolina, have overwhelmingly rejected the chance to form a union, dealing another blow to the labor movement’s efforts to organize against the online retail giant.
The vote results announced by the grassroots union, Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), showed 2,447 votes opposing the union and 829 votes in support of it. The union received 25.3% of the vote, falling short of the 30% needed to proceed.
Amazon’s efforts to discredit the union were also questioned by CAUSE, which alleged that Amazon had interfered with the vote-counting process. However, Amazon disputed these claims, stating that its workers in Garner and elsewhere preferred not to be in a union.
The rejection is another setback for the labor movement, which has faced strong pushback from companies like Amazon. Workers at the warehouse were seeking wages of $30 an hour, but the company claimed it already offered competitive pay and industry-leading benefits.
North Carolina has been hostile to union efforts, with only 2.4% of workers overall belonging to a union. Despite this, organizing efforts are ongoing throughout the state, particularly among essential workers who began advocating for better treatment after the Covid pandemic.
Amazon’s market cap is over $2.4 trillion, and it made nearly double its net income in 2024 compared to the previous year. The company’s ability to resist unionization has raised concerns about worker rights and wages.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/15/business/amazon-workers-reject-north-carolina-union/index.html