Amazon.com Inc. has come under fire from the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union for terminating an employee who was a leader in the union campaign in Bessemer, Alabama. Jennifer Bates was fired after taking medical leave due to injuries sustained while working at an Amazon warehouse. The company had requested Bates to obtain a doctor's review, but upon her return to work, she was immediately terminated. Bates, who had been leading the union campaign, expressed her displeasure with Amazon's decision, saying, "Amazon, your termination of my employment will not stifle workers organizing, for when you fire leaders, it only brings more people ignited into the movement."
The union claims that Amazon's app for hourly workers created a glitch that prevented Bates from submitting documentation from her doctors. Union president Stuart Appelbaum called on the National Labor Relations Board to review her case, adding, "We will continue to hold Amazon accountable and ensure workers' voices are heard." An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
It is important to note that Amazon's Alabama warehouse is the site of a closely watched union vote that has yet to be decided, despite the fact that Bates and her colleagues began organizing almost three years ago. While Amazon led by over 100 votes at the end of counting last year, more than 400 contested ballots are yet to be reviewed. However, the union has accused Amazon of acting illegally during a re-vote at the facility last year, and the labor board is reviewing their claims.
This is not the first time Amazon has been accused of illegally firing union activists. Earlier this year, Darryl Richardson, another outspoken union organizer in Bessemer, was fired without reason. Amazon denied that the firing was related to his union efforts, but Richardson's unfair labor practices charge is still pending with the NLRB. Despite the company's repeated denials, the labor board's general counsel has continued to accuse Amazon of engaging in illegal behavior towards union activists.