Amazon moves its army of union-busters to the next warehouse over, this week in the war on workers

This post was originally published on this site

Following the Amazon Labor Union’s huge win in Staten Island, they’re going for it again. Workers at another, smaller warehouse—called LDJ5—will begin voting on April 25, and Amazon is once again going hard with its union-busting campaign. 

“All those union-busters that were there to union-bust 8,000 workers at JFK8 have walked across the street and are in our little building of 1,600 people,” LDJ5 worker Madeline Wesley told reporters at a press conference last week. “They’re really fighting us, and they’re playing really dirty.”

The union has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board over captive audience meetings being conducted by veteran union-buster Rebecca Smith. The workers at LDJ5 will face enormous intimidation in the coming 10 days, but they can also look at JFK8 and take their inspiration.

“I can’t believe the building across from us, JFK8, got a union,” 18-year-old Ursula Tomaszuk told Labor Notes. “I thought it wasn’t doable until now.”

● National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo made another big move this week, calling for the reinstatement of the Joy Silk doctrine, which allows the board to order an employer to recognize a union and bargain in good faith. Dave Jamieson has background on Cemex, the union-busting company spurring Abruzzo’s move, which committed “extraordinary violations” of labor law according to a judge.

● By helping self-organized workers, labor can save itself, writes Jon Hiatt, former general counsel of the AFL-CIO.

● Labor experts dismissed the quixotic Amazon union drive on Staten Island. Then they won.

● Depressing but important thread:

● Actors in Waitress tour seek to join labor union.

● The BuzzFeed News Union has a tentative agreement on a first contract.

● Being good at your job can make heroism possible:

● 

Listen and subscribe to Daily Kos’ The Brief podcast with Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld

Listen and subscribe to Daily Kos Elections’ The Downballot podcast with David Nir and David Beard