Amazon’s distribution center located in Garner, North Carolina, officially opened its doors in August 2020.

Scott Sharpe/The News & Observer via Getty Images

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Scott Sharpe/The News & Observer via Getty Images

Workers at an Amazon facility in North Carolina recently voted against union representation, marking a significant setback for labor organizers.

Approximately 4,300 employees at the Garner warehouse, situated near Raleigh, participated in the voting process over the past week to decide if they would align with the grassroots union known as Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE).

The results revealed a nearly 3-to-1 margin against unionizing, with federal labor officials reporting 829 votes in favor and 2,447 votes opposed; an additional 77 ballots were set aside due to challenges from either the union or the company.

Union representatives did not provide immediate comments in response to NPR’s inquiry on Saturday.

Organizers, comprising current and former employees, expressed their intent to advocate for improved wages, more consistent hours, enhanced safety protocols, and other necessary reforms. They faced strong opposition from Amazon, which has historically resisted efforts to unionize its warehouse workers, delivery drivers, and other staff.

As the second-largest private employer in the United States, trailing only Walmart, Amazon maintains that its workers enjoy benefits under a non-union framework and asserts that it provides superior pay and benefits compared to many industry competitors.

“We are pleased our team in Garner had the chance to express their views and chose to maintain a direct relationship with Amazon,” stated Eileen Hards, a spokesperson for the company. “We are committed to continuing our efforts to make this an exceptional workplace and to support our team members as they plan their futures with us.”

In January, employees at one Whole Foods location owned by Amazon in Philadelphia secured their status as the first unionized store in the chain. Following this, Whole Foods requested the National Labor Relations Board to invalidate the union’s victory, citing that the federal body lacked an adequate number of board members to certify the vote due to the dismissal of a Democratic member under President Trump.

The company also continues to legally contest efforts surrounding its first unionized warehouse in New York, nearly three years after a historic vote took place. Over this period, the financial stability and internal unity of the nascent Amazon Labor Union have weakened. This group has partnered with the influential International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The Teamsters have independently organized some of Amazon’s delivery drivers, although the company does not acknowledge this labor representation. In December, the union led a strike involving drivers and warehouse workers at several locations across the U.S., aiming to recruit additional members and compel Amazon to commence negotiations for collective bargaining agreements.

Amazon is also appealing a November decision made by a federal labor judge that mandated a third union election at an Alabama warehouse. The original vote in 2021 resulted in a decisive rejection of the union. Subsequently, U.S. labor officials found that Amazon had unlawfully influenced the voting outcome. The results of the second election have been in limbo for over two years, as both the union and the corporation accused each other of violating labor regulations.

Numerous complaints alleging labor law breaches and unlawful anti-union activities have been lodged by Amazon employees and federal labor investigators, claims that the corporation has denied and legally contested. In fact, one of Amazon’s lawsuits has challenged the legitimacy of the National Labor Relations Board, arguing that its structural composition is unconstitutional.

Editor’s note: Amazon has been one of NPR’s financial supporters.