- An initial tally showed Amazon workers in Alabama appear poised to reject unionization for a second time.
- Hundreds of contested ballots could potentially swing the election, and a final decision could take weeks to resolve.
- A similar effort by the newly formed Amazon Labor Union was on track to win in New York.
A union drive at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama could still eke out a victory, but as the first day of ballot-counting closed, the company is in the lead.
The organizing drive at the BHM1 facility in Bessemer was led by the 80-year-old Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, resulted in a tally of 993 against the union and 875 in favor of it, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
A simple majority is needed for either side to win, and over 400 contested ballots remain to be evaluated — a margin big enough to potentially swing the election. The process of going through the challenged ballots to determine how many are eligible for inclusion in the final tally could take weeks.
Meanwhile, the newly formed Amazon Labor Union appears on track to declare victory after an estimated 3,500 workers voted at the company's JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, New York.
There, as the first day of counting closed, the union is leading with 1,518 votes in favor, to 1,154 opposed, according to National Labor Relations Board officials.
Hundreds more ballots remain to be counted in that election, and it is not known how many ballots have been challenged.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story...