CNN
 — 

A recent vote at an Amazon warehouse near Raleigh, North Carolina, saw workers decisively turn down the opportunity to unionize, marking another challenge for the labor movement’s efforts to organize within the e-commerce giant.

The results, released on Saturday by the Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), indicated a strong opposition to unionization, with 2,447 workers voting against it compared to 829 who supported the initiative at the Garner facility.

The union garnered just 25.3% of the votes. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) stipulates that a minimum of 30% of employees must demonstrate interest in forming a union for an election to take place.

An NLRB representative refrained from commenting on the matter. Out of over 4,700 eligible voters, only 3,276 valid votes were recorded, with 77 ballots challenged and not counted. Additionally, 10 ballots were declared void.

CAUSE has raised concerns alleging that Amazon might have interfered with the vote-counting process.

In a statement, the grassroots organization remarked, “The results of this election reflect Amazon’s willingness to flout the law and utilize its significant resources to undermine our movement.”

CAUSE emphasized its commitment to continue organizing as it highlighted that more than half of Amazon’s workforce is grappling with issues related to food and housing stability. Established in 2022, the union advocates for fair wages for workers at a billion-dollar corporation.

Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards expressed contentment with the election outcome, stating, “We’re pleased that our team in Garner had the opportunity to voice their opinions and opted to maintain a direct relationship with Amazon. We are dedicated to fostering a great workplace for our team as they aim to build their futures with us.”

In a notable move in 2022, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, successfully voted to join the Amazon Labor Union, marking the company’s first union.

Amazon has previously thwarted unionization efforts at two separate facilities in Bessemer, Alabama, as well as another Staten Island location adjacent to the one that successfully unionized, along with one outside Albany, New York.

The pressure on Amazon from unions has intensified, despite the company’s active measures to prevent such organizing.

Workers at the Garner site, where Amazon claims entry-level wages start at $18.50 per hour and can go up to $23.80, were advocating for hourly wages of $30.

Organizing leader Italo Medelius-Marsano contested the notion that $20 an hour is a sustainable wage, stating, “In the Raleigh area, that figure is quite inadequate. Considering Amazon’s significant profits, a request for $30 an hour is entirely justifiable.”

With a market capitalization of approximately $2.4 trillion and a staggering $59 billion in net income for 2024—nearly double from the previous year—Amazon maintained before the Saturday vote that its employees would prefer not to unionize.

“Amazon is already providing many of the benefits sought after by unions: safe work environments, competitive salaries, and leading industry benefits,” Hards explained prior to the vote.

North Carolina is known for its challenging climate for union activities, holding the title for the lowest union membership rate in the nation at only 2.4%.

According to Jeff Hirsch, a law professor at UNC Chapel Hill, there exists a cultural aversion to unionization, similar to many other right-to-work states.

The state’s influential Chamber of Commerce and numerous industry associations advocate for employers’ interests, often opposing new worker protection legislation, as stated by Clermont Ripley, director of the Workers’ Rights Project at the North Carolina Justice Center.

However, Ripley noted a rise in organizing activities across the state, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, as essential workers have started advocating for improved working conditions.

“I was prepared for this outcome,” remarked Rev. Ryan Brown, president and co-founder of CAUSE, upon learning the election results. “I understood that the odds were stacked against us.”