President Biden is a union guy–that is his term. His campaign promises were clearly pro-labor and his actions so far have shown he means it. But it was a still surprise when he weighed in on a vote to organize an Amazon facility in Alabama this week. In a video posted to Twitter (looks like that is still a thing for presidents), Biden threw his support behind the union. Without mentioning Amazon by name, Biden stated:
“Unions put power in the hands of workers, they level the playing field, they give you a stronger voice, for your health, your safety, higher wages protections from racial discrimination and sexual harassment. Unions lift up workers, both union and non-union, but especially Black and Brown workers.”
What is going on? Why this vote in Alabama of all places? Alabama was the seat of the early civil rights movement and as Biden noted, many of the affected workers are Black and Brown. As big as Amazon is, the Biden administration promises for racial justice and workers is bigger. Biden stuck his neck out not just for union organizing but for racial equality. It is an interesting gamble for a president and we will all be watching this vote. Oh, and it is a big deal for Amazon too–their workforce is not unionized and they have fought it vehemently.
We expect more organizing and union activity. At Foley & Foley PC, we have developed a comprehensive training for managers and supervisors on this topic. We have also counseled employers for decades during organizing campaigns. Contact us today to discuss how we can help.