Amazon workers at a facility near Raleigh, North Carolina, decisively voted against unionizing on Saturday.
Out of the 3,276 ballots cast, 2,447 were opposed to the union, while 829 were in favor, according to the National Labor Relations Board. There were 77 challenged ballots, but the margin is too small to alter the election’s outcome. The results are still pending certification by the NLRB.
The election at the RDU1 facility, located in the suburb of Garner, followed a three-year campaign by organizers from the Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE). The warehouse employs approximately 4,700 workers.
CAUSE stated in a release that the election results reflected Amazon’s “willingness to break the law.”
“Amazon’s relentless and illegal efforts to intimidate us show that this company fears workers uniting to claim our power,” the group said. “Amazon may think it is above the law, but we will not tolerate a system that lets billionaires and corporations play by different rules.”
Amazon spokeswoman Eileen Hards rejected the claims, asserting that the company did not break the law or interfere with the election.
“We’re pleased that our team in Garner was able to make their voices heard, and that they chose to maintain a direct relationship with Amazon,” Hards said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to make this a great place to work and supporting our teammates as they build their futures with us.”
Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the U.S., has long sought to prevent unions within its ranks. Its strategy was successful until 2022, when workers at a Staten Island warehouse voted to join the Amazon Labor Union. Last month, employees at a Whole Foods store in Philadelphia also voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union.
In response to the Garner union drive, Amazon launched a campaign of anti-union messages at the warehouse, on a website, and through its AtoZ app. A warehouse leader urged workers to “vote no,” claiming a union “can get in the way of how we work together.” The company labeled CAUSE an “outside party” that was “claiming to be a union.”
Amazon has previously stated that its employees have the choice to join a union and that it engages “openly, candidly, and respectfully” on the topic to ensure workers can make “informed decisions.”
CAUSE was founded in 2022 by RDU1 employees Mary Hill and Rev. Ryan Brown in response to what they saw as Amazon’s inadequate handling of the Covid pandemic. The group aimed to organize RDU1 workers to push for higher wages and longer breaks.
Starting pay at RDU1 is $18.50 an hour, but CAUSE has advocated for wages of $30 an hour.
In its statement on Saturday, CAUSE emphasized its commitment to continuing organizing efforts at RDU1, stating that “over half of Amazon employees are still struggling with food and housing insecurity.”
Labor organizations have expanded their efforts beyond National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) elections to gain a foothold at Amazon. These groups have assisted workers in filing unfair labor practice charges against the company, accusing Amazon of violating labor laws.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters helped organize a picket at nine Amazon facilities in December, although Amazon claimed the walkout had no impact on its operations.
The Teamsters union has stated it represents 9,000 Amazon workers nationwide, though the company has refused to recognize the union or engage in bargaining with its leadership.
Support for unions has been rising across the U.S., with 67% of Americans expressing approval of labor unions, according to Gallup. However, this support has not led to a significant increase in membership, with private-sector union membership dipping slightly to 5.9% in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
North Carolina had the lowest union membership rate in the country last year, with just 2.4% of workers in the state represented, according to the BLS.
