Amazon warehouse workers in North Carolina voted against unionizing, with 2,447 opposing and 829 in favor. Organizers allege company interference.
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| Amazon workers in Garner, NC, rejected unionization efforts, with 74.7% voting against. Organizers claim interference but vow to continue the fight. Image: Amazon |
Garner, North Carolina, USA — Feb 16, 2025:
Amazon warehouse workers in Garner, North Carolina, have voted decisively against forming a union, dealing another setback to labor organizers. The final tally, announced Saturday, recorded 2,447 votes against unionizing and 829 in favor—only 25.3% support—falling short of the 30% threshold required for an election, reads a NPR post.
The Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE), the group behind the effort, alleged Amazon interfered with the process. “This result is the outcome of Amazon’s willingness to break the law and use its vast resources to crush our movement,” CAUSE said in a statement, vowing to continue organizing. The group argues that many employees struggle with food and housing insecurity despite Amazon’s $2.4 trillion market value and record $59 billion in net income in 2024.
Amazon, which offers hourly wages between $18.50 and $23.80 at the facility, welcomed the result. “We’re glad our team in Garner had their voices heard and chose to maintain a direct relationship with Amazon,” company spokesperson Eileen Hards said.
CAUSE had been pushing for a $30 hourly wage, calling Amazon’s current pay insufficient for the cost of living in the Raleigh area. “Twenty dollars an hour isn’t a livable wage here,” said CAUSE organizer Italo Medelius-Marsano.
The outcome follows a pattern of failed unionization bids at Amazon warehouses, including in Bessemer, Alabama, and Albany, New York. A Staten Island facility remains the only Amazon warehouse in the U.S. to have successfully unionized.
North Carolina, the least unionized state in the country, has long presented challenges for labor movements. Organizers acknowledge the difficulty but remain undeterred. “History wasn’t on our side,” said CAUSE president Rev. Ryan Brown. “But this fight is far from over.”