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Workers at Whole Foods Market are trying to unionize, fearing that the company will further reduce their benefits under Amazon's ownership.
On Thursday, a group of employees at Whole Foods sent an email to workers at 490 grocery stores, urging them to support organizing efforts, according to the Wall Street Journal. They said they wanted to "collectively express our concerns to the Whole Foods Market and Amazon's leadership" and push for better benefits and compensation.
Organizers of the union campaign are working with the Retailers, Wholesalers and Department Stores Union, a 100,000-member New York-based national workers group.
The organizers said the recent layoffs and consolidation in Whole Foods stores have put the livelihoods of employees at risk, and that more of these moves will follow, according to the Seattle Times. The group wants to impose an hourly minimum wage of $ 15, better pension benefits, paid maternity leave and lower health insurance costs.
"The success of Amazon and [Whole Foods Market] should not be at the cost of exploiting our dedication and the threat of our economic stability, "wrote the organizers in the email.
The union campaign comes at a time of tension for Amazon, whose value recently reached $ 1 trillion, the second US company to do after Apple. But the online retailer is also facing serious complaints from employees, who describe harsh working conditions and low wages in Amazon's warehouses in the United States and around the world. In July, Amazonian workers in Europe went on strike to protest what they describe as burning, windowless and heartbreaking work environments. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has repeatedly attacked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for paying so little for warehouse employees that US taxpayers end up paying their welfare benefits.
Amazon denies that it treats its employees badly and claims that it is a "fair and responsible" employer. But the Whole Foods workers are not convinced. The supermarket chain was acquired by Amazon in June 2017 and the workers are unhappy that the company has since fired hundreds of employees in marketing and has stopped offering options. Stock Purchase to the less generous staff of Whole Foods.
Union president Stuart Appelbaum told the Wall Street Journal that Amazon workers deserve "dignity and respect."
The union campaign will certainly intensify the ongoing labor disputes at Amazon. The company has struggled with earlier organizing efforts in Europe, and recent comments from an Amazon spokesperson suggest that the company will not support similar efforts by Whole Foods employees. The spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that employees had to discuss issues related to working with their managers.
"We believe this direct connection is the most effective way to understand and meet the needs of our staff," she said.
Before Whole Foods employees can form a union, they still have to overcome some obstacles. Organizers will have to persuade a majority of employees to sign union membership cards to show their support for collective bargaining. If this happens, the company may voluntarily recognize the union. If the company does not want to recognize the union, then the workers will have to organize a formal unionization vote through the National Labor Relations Board. If the majority of employees vote in favor of unionization, Amazon and Whole Foods are legally required to recognize the union. Then they can start negotiating a work contract.
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