Amazon union hopeful in North Carolina alleges interference in election count

By Greg Bensinger

(Reuters) -An upstart union in North Carolina alleged Amazon interfered with the vote counting process on Saturday at a warehouse near Raleigh.

The union, Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), said it could not display a livestream of votes on its website because the retailer made three workers leave who were going to report results.

CAUSE alleged Amazon is "flagrantly violating labor law" and that the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees union votes, had "no issue with live-streaming the tally."

An Amazon spokesperson said the company and CAUSE "both have the same number of representatives in the room participating in the legal process." She denied that Amazon is breaking the law.

The vote counting began at 12 p.m. ET (1700 GMT) in Garner, North Carolina, where some 4,300 employees work. They could collectively bargain with Amazon if a simple majority approves the union. Voting began Monday with results expected later on Saturday.

The NLRB itself has accused Amazon of improper interference in prior elections, including two votes at a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. The agency has ordered a third vote as a result of what it said was misconduct, including intimidation of workers.

Amazon has vigorously opposed prior union actions, arguing that workers are better served by seeking changes directly with the company. Despite a successful 2022 union drive at a warehouse in Staten Island, Amazon has yet to recognize the group or negotiate with organizers.

The company said voters last month at a Whole Foods location in Philadelphia were coerced in order to win the election.

Amazon, meanwhile, is contesting the NLRB's very existence in a federal lawsuit.

(Reporting by Greg Bensinger; editing by Diane Craft)