Amazon workers and their unionization efforts have seen a constant swing of highs and lows. This time, the Amazon workers have elected to reject the union in North Carolina, handing the retail giant a big win in its resistance to unionization efforts across the organization. The Amazon labor battle update was expected to make the workers the second branch of the company to unionize, however, now that workers have opposed the formation, the Staten Island warehouse workers remain the only ones to have formed a union so far.
Over 4,300 workers at Amazon were eligible to participate in the union vote in February 2025, and a simple majority was necessary to win the vote. According to the data available, three-quarters of the Amazon workers rejected the union, with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) releasing the results of the vote on Saturday.
Image: Freepik
Amazon Workers Reject Union in Raleigh, North Carolina
The Amazon worker unionization efforts were led by Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), at a facility named RDU1 in Garner, a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina. Reports show that 3,276 ballots were cast and 2,447 votes opposed the union while 829 were in favor of unionizing.
Around 77 were challenged ballots but the gap in the votes was such that any action on it was deemed unnecessary. The NLRB is still to certify the results of the vote, but for all intents and purposes, Amazon’s North Carolina union has been rejected by workers.
CAUSE is said to have been founded in 2021 by employees at the facility, following the company’s unsatisfactory response to the COVID pandemic that shook the world. The main aim of the Amazon workers’ unionization efforts was to demand better wages and living conditions for the workers, along with better safety considerations for all.
The starting wages at the facility have been reported to be $18.50 an hour, but CAUSE was pushing for it to be raised to $30 an hour. Longer breaks and better hours were also on the list of demands.
How Did Amazon Respond to the Union Vote Outcome?
Amazon has frequently been accused of being staunchly anti-union and pushing similar messaging to its workers to discourage them from unionization efforts. The organization has challenged the legitimacy of the NLRB itself, taking a firm stance on the matter of collective-bargaining contracts.
Similar accusations were made in Amazon’s North Carolina union fight as well, with reports from earlier in the month suggesting that the workers were hounded with flyers and mounted TVs that encouraged the workers to “vote no.” Managers also encouraged workers to do the same during internal meetings. There were other reports of QR codes being shared which led them to anti-union websites, clearly communicating the organization’s expectations from employees.
As per NPR, an Amazon spokesperson, Eileen Hards, said “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.” She continued, “We look forward to continuing to make this a great place to work together, and to supporting our teammates as they build their futures with us.”
How Did the CAUSE Group Respond to the Union Vote?
CAUSE provided a statement to CNBC accusing the results of the vote being an effect of Amazon’s “willingness to break the law.”
“Amazon’s relentless and illegal efforts to intimidate us prove that this company is afraid of workers coming together to claim our power,” the union supporters added further. “Amazon may think it is above the law, but we will not accept a system that allows billionaires and corporations to play by a different set of rules.”
We stand with @amazoncause in their bid to make history as the first unionized Amazon warehouse in the South. Workers deserve dignity, rights, and respect. Don’t quit—organize! https://t.co/PoS8TgqaFh
— OxfamAmerica (@OxfamAmerica) February 14, 2025
Amazon Union Movement Update: Where Do Things Stand At the Organization
Despite being the second-largest private employer in the U.S., Amazon has successfully evaded most unionization attempts across its different facilities. In 2022, the JFK8 center Staten Island warehouse workers were the first to successfully vote to form a union at the organization in the U.S., named the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). Amazon challenged the results of the vote but the NLRB rejected the attempt, giving the union its victory.
The ALU eventually joined The International Brotherhood of Teamsters to form a more supported network. According to the last union movement update on the Amazon Staten Island workers, a contract has not yet been signed.
Teamsters also separately organized a strike against Amazon in various areas across the country in December last year, but it did not leave a mark on the organization. Despite the scale of the strike, Amazon stated that it was unaffected by it despite it being timed during the company’s peak profit season.
Last year, Amazon workers in Quebec attempted to form a union, however, Amazon began to conduct layoffs to dismiss almost 1,700 workers earlier this month. The job cuts have been seen as retaliation for broaching the subject of collective action, but Amazon claimed it was an economic decision fueled by the company’s preference for hiring contractors in the region instead of workers.
Amazon’s Union Vote Outcome Shows Workers Have a Long Battle Ahead
Workers at an Amazon-owned Whole Foods in Philadelphia voted to unionize earlier this year, and they were the first to do so in the grocery chain’s history. Despite that, many other unionization efforts at Amazon have failed to furnish results.
While there were some successful unionization efforts at other organizations in the last year, overall, there appears to be a decline in union membership. This could be linked to the shift in the political climate and the threat it brings to workers who fear losing their jobs, or we could be in the midst of a shift in attitude towards unionization overall.
For now, the Amazon North Carolina union efforts have come to an end, unless CAUSE is able to challenge the results. It does not appear likely that workers at the facility will be able to push for unionization in the region for a while to come.
Have more insight into the Amazon workers’ unionization efforts? Let us know more. Subscribe to HR Digest to keep up with the shifts dominating the workspace today.
