Workers at Amazon’s RDU1 facility in Garner, N.C., voted against unionization Friday, with only a third of workers casting their ballots in favor of the move after a six-day voting period.
However, union representatives and proponents of the movement accused Amazon of unfair interference in the voting process.
The results, 829 in favor of unionizing and 2,447 opposed, came after a three-year effort by Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity & Empowerment (CAUSE), the organization hoping to represent the Amazon employees. A successful unionization vote would have been historic, as RDU1 would have become only the second Amazon facility to organize in the nation and the first in the South.
“The election results today are a result of Amazon’s willingness to break the law and use its enormous wealth to try and break our movement,” CAUSE leadership wrote in a statement following the vote. “… We will continue organizing: This is only the beginning, and we are building momentum in this struggle against exploitation.”
Orin Starn, professor of cultural anthropology and history who worked undercover in the warehouse and supported the unionization effort, noted that “it wasn’t unexpected for us to lose, but we hoped that we would win.”
“We’re glad that our team in Garner was able to have their voices heard and that they chose to keep a direct relationship with Amazon,” wrote Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards in a Sunday email to The Chronicle.
Union busting allegations
CAUSE filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board Feb. 12, accusing Amazon of allegedly firing employees “in retaliation for their union activity,” which would violate federal labor law.
In the Sunday email, Hards noted that she could not comment broadly on employee terminations without individual case details. However, she mentioned that two former Amazon employees who have recently been vocal about their termination were not fired because of their involvement in the unionization effort but instead due to violations of the company’s policies on drugs and alcohol and on misconduct involving the use of derogatory language in the workplace.
According to Starn, Amazon representatives removed pro-union posters, fired employees who were found attempting to convince other staff to vote to unionize and erected a half-mile fence around the facility to keep out union representatives during the lead-up to the election.
Hards wrote in the Sunday email that the company’s decision to construct a fence around the RDU1 facility was made in response to “several incidents where individuals have trespassed and refused to leave [Amazon’s] property” in recent weeks, prompting the company to invest in “additional security measures.”
The company also reportedly hosted “town halls” to convince workers of the disadvantages of unionizing and flew in area and operations managers to run the anti-union campaign. In the Sunday email, Hards stressed that the town halls were “voluntary,” which she wrote was “communicate[d] to employees.”
“Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union,” she wrote. “We believe that both decisions should be equally protected, which is why we talk openly, candidly and respectfully about these topics, actively sharing facts with employees so they can use that information to make an informed decision.”
Literature reportedly distributed by Amazon and obtained by The Chronicle included messaging that “unions run their businesses with your money” and that none of the benefits CAUSE advocated for would be guaranteed in negotiations. The documents also included a charge that CAUSE would “trad[e] something important to you for something they want, like deducting dues from your paycheck,” in reference to benefits such as schedule flexibility.
The vote was held in the warehouse itself, where Amazon had allegedly posted materials encouraging employees to vote against unionizing.
Starn added that Amazon “produce[d] these very slick anti-union videos” in contrast to CAUSE, which Starn claims operates on a “mom-and-pop” budget.
Hards noted in her email that “CAUSE has never negotiated a union contract anywhere and has no experience representing workers or their interests.”
CAUSE to continue efforts despite setback
CAUSE’s demands included a $30 hourly minimum wage, 180 hours of paid leave each year, a fully paid one-hour break during shifts, accommodations for injured and disabled employees, increased paid vacation time and equal treatment for all workers.
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Hards wrote that the facility’s current pay range is $18.50 to $23.80 but noted that “pay is not capped” and that “Amazon increases hourly wages every year.” She added that Amazon invested in its “biggest ever” $2.2 billion wage increases in 2024 and that RDU1 boasts a “strong safety record that’s far better than industry average.”
North Carolina currently has the lowest percentage of unionized workers nationwide at 2.4% — less than a quarter of the national average. The state also has a right-to-work law on the books, meaning workers cannot be compelled to join a union as a condition of employment.
“We've had, in the last month, workers at facilities across the Carolinas come to us and ask us to help them with organizing union movements in their facilities,” Starn said. “So we're ready to move forward with this.”
According to Starn, union leaders are due to meet with their legal team to discuss possibly taking additional legal action against Amazon for alleged illegal practices during the voting process.
“This is also, in its own way, a fight for justice and for all people to have a chance to make a living and to live the American dream,” Starn said. “There's going to be victories and there's going to be defeats along the way.”
Samanyu Gangappa is a Trinity sophomore and local/national news editor for the news department.