Why form a union at amazon?
WHY FORM A UNION AT AMAZON?
Having a union at Amazon would give us the right to collectively bargain over our working conditions including items such as safety standards, training, breaks, pay, benefits, and other important issues that would make our workplace better. Amazon sometimes addresses issues at work but it’s all temporary. A union contract is in writing, negotiated upon, and Amazon would need to legally follow the guidelines and there are mechanisms to hold them legally accountable to us as workers. There’s no other way to have this type of relationship with Amazon outside of having a union.
WHAT CAN WE IMPROVE WITH A UNION?
safer working conditions
The record on Amazon’s dehumanizing working conditions is well established. Nineteen workers have died at Amazon facilities since 2013. We face outrageous work quotas that have left many with illnesses and lifetime injuries. With a union contract, we can form a worker safety committee, and negotiate the highest safety standards and protocols for our workplace.
Just-Cause instead of At-Will
All workers are considered “At-Will” employees and can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. When we unionize, we will become “Just Cause” employees so that we can only be fired or disciplined if management can demonstrate and justify to us how we violated company policy. Furthermore, we could call on the union to help mediate or file charges on our behalf if we don’t feel that management is following the rules.
Greviance procedures
When we disagree with a write up or a termination we currently have no mechanism to challenge it except to go to Human Resources. With a union, we’ll be able to file a grievance. When we file a grievance, management has to prove that there was a good reason that the discipline occurred. This acts as a way to hold management accountable if necessary.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
All workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect - and that includes Amazon’s workers as well. Unfortunately, Amazon - controlled by the wealthiest person on the planet - has a well-documented history of mistreating and dehumanizing its workforce. Amazon presents a threat to the very fabric of society and the social contract we work to uphold for all working people. Corporations like Amazon have built decades of increasingly bold and aggressive attacks on workers’ rights that have dramatically eroded union density, harmed working conditions, and lowered the standard of living for many workers. And it’s not stopping. The RWDSU has always stood against anti-worker and anti-union companies. Our union will not back down until Amazon is held accountable for these and so many more dangerous labor practices.
