Amazon Defeats Unionization Effort at Alabama Warehouse

A high-profile unionization effort by Amazon workers in Alabama fell short Friday, as Amazon easily passed the 1,608 votes needed at its 6,000-person warehouse in Bessemer.

An early count showed that workers opted against unionization by a 1,798-738 margin, out of 3,215 ballots cast. Only 55 percent of the 5,805 eligible voters ended up voting, and 500 ballots were contested and not counted in the tally.

After a lopsided count emerged on Thursday, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which organized the effort, complained publicly that “our system is broken” and accused Amazon of “illegal and egregious behavior during the campaign.” In Alabama, a right-to-work state, workers are not required to pay union dues.