Amazon Workers in North Carolina Vote Against Unionizing

Election Results and Reaction

Amazon workers at the RDU1 facility near Raleigh, North Carolina, voted overwhelmingly against unionizing. Out of 3,276 ballots cast, 2,447 opposed the union, while 829 supported it. The results still need to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The union effort was led by Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), a group that had been organizing at the warehouse for three years.

CAUSE blamed the loss on Amazon’s alleged illegal anti-union tactics, claiming the company used intimidation to sway the vote. Amazon denied these allegations, stating that employees simply chose to maintain a direct relationship with the company. The e-commerce giant ran an extensive anti-union campaign, spreading messages inside the warehouse, through its AtoZ app, and on a dedicated website. A warehouse leader also urged employees to vote against the union, arguing that it could disrupt workplace operations.

CAUSE was founded in 2022 by RDU1 workers Mary Hill and Rev. Ryan Brown, initially to protest Amazon’s COVID-19 safety policies. The group later sought to increase wages and secure longer breaks for employees. Following the vote, CAUSE stated it would continue organizing efforts, citing ongoing food and housing insecurity among Amazon workers.

Amazon, the nation’s second-largest private employer, has long fought against unionization. The company succeeded in keeping unions out of its workforce until 2022, when workers at a Staten Island warehouse voted to join the Amazon Labor Union. More recently, Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia unionized. Despite these wins, Amazon has refused to recognize the Teamsters union, which claims to represent 9,000 Amazon employees nationwide. The Teamsters led picketing efforts at multiple Amazon warehouses in December, but Amazon insisted the action had no impact on its operations.

While public approval for unions remains high at 67%, according to Gallup, union membership in the private sector remains low, dropping to 5.9% in 2024. North Carolina has the lowest union membership rate in the country at just 2.4%, making it a particularly difficult environment for labor organizing. Despite these challenges, labor groups continue filing unfair labor practice charges against Amazon, accusing the company of violating worker rights.