BIRMINGHAM, April 1, 2022 – The Alabama Coalition for Community Benefits released the following statement on the Amazon unionization drive in Bessemer:
Alongside the Amazon Bessemer workers, we are eagerly waiting for the result of their union election which hinges on 416 ballots challenged by the union and the employer. We feel victorious already because 54 churches and groups joined our growing Coalition, advocating for union rights and civil rights in greater Birmingham.
The Alabama Coalition for Community Benefits played a key role in the unionization campaign by driving a community education strategy–canvassing over 3,000 people and 500 communal institutions such as barber shops, hair salons, and churches. They were overwhelmingly supportive: thousands of community members put signs in their yards and on their windows in support of the Amazon workers unionizing. We passed out over 10,000 flyers to Amazon workers and community members about the union vote and had meaningful conversations with them about unions.
“For too long, workers and working conditions have taken the back seat to big business. The Amazon campaign is so inspiring because those workers had the courage to stand up to find their voice against the largest employers in the world right here in Alabama. We are proud of them for taking that step, and as a community, we fully have their backs,” says Erica Iheme, Deputy Director of Jobs to Move America.
Workers in Bessemer stood up for respect, safety, and equity and came up against one of the world’s richest men. They faced Amazon’s aggressive, illegal anti-union campaign for two years. This is only the beginning. Our Coalition has grown in numbers and in spirit because of the Amazon workers who courageously fought for their rights. We will continue to support workers and communities in the urgent struggle for economic and racial justice in the South.
About the Alabama Coalition for Community Benefits
The Alabama Coalition for Community Benefits is a coalition of labor, community, civil rights, faith, and environmental justice groups working to hold corporations that do business in the South accountable to workers and communities.
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