For the union to succeed in the historic drive to get recognition at Amazon’s facility in Bessemer, Alabama, USA, fifty-per cent plus one would have had to vote “yes”. Out of the 3,215 workers who voted over seven weeks up to 29 March, 1,798 “no” votes and 738 “yes” votes were recorded before voided and challenged ballots were counted. If the workers had won, they would have been the largest number of workers to certify a union in the private sector in three decades.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) is challenging the company for a variety of illegal intimidation tactics. Unfair labour practices charges could provide grounds to overturn the result, extending the battle over unionisation in Bessemer. It would probably be up to the RWDSU’s parent union, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), to provide the necessary resources.

The logistics industry in general has grown immensely in recent decades. Amazon exploded under the pandemic as people were forced to rely more on their delivery services. It is the second-biggest employer in the US, with nearly one million workers to Walmart’s two million. The company added 500,000 employees to its payroll in 2020, bringing its total worldwide employment to 1.3 million workers.