Media that empowers working people – that's how we build a More Perfect Union.

Don't Miss a Video!

Access our exclusive reporting and rapid response actions directly in your inbox, so you don’t miss a beat in the fight for working people nationwide.

Be a part of a community backing up independent journalism with action.

Ideas

Have a story to tell or idea to share?
Email [email protected]
© 2021 More Perfect Union Action

Together we can build power for working people.

We’re asking questions that really matter, and telling the stories of people who really need to be seen and heard.

You can support our work by donating today.

Amount

Make It Monthly

Don't Miss a Video!

Access our exclusive reporting and rapid response actions directly in your inbox, so you don’t miss a beat in the fight for working people nationwide.

Be a part of a community backing up independent journalism with action.

Exclusive: Emails Show Amazon Pressured USPS To Install Illegal Dropbox During Union Election

More Perfect Union has obtained emails showing that Amazon privately pressured USPS to install an illegal ballot dropbox during the union election in Bessemer, AL. The newly released emails directly contradict public statements by USPS about the box’s origins. 

The emails were obtained through a FOIA request by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which led the union drive in Bessemer. Many of the exchanges have been almost entirely redacted, and any mentions of Amazon officials have been removed. Placing a mailbox directly outside the warehouse was critical to Amazon’s strategy of defeating the union. It allowed Amazon managers to pressure workers to vote in a company-controlled location that was under constant surveillance, so workers were more likely to vote against the union. The emails show that Amazon pushed USPS to install the dropbox, a direct contradiction of earlier claims by USPS that they proposed the idea of installing a mailbox to Amazon. “We suggested the unit as a solution to provide an efficient and secure delivery and collection point,” a USPS spokesperson told More Perfect Union on March 21.Amazon pressured the USPS despite a specific directive from the federal government to not set up such a ballot dropbox at their warehouse.

The Timeline

On January 8th — one month before the union vote started — Amazon began repeatedly calling USPS’ “strategic account manager” and stating that they wanted to install their own box. The USPS team deliberated Amazon’s request and said a “private box may not be utilized.”

On January 15, NLRB Regional Director Lisa Henderson rejected Amazon’s request to host a dropbox for mail-ballot collection. Henderson expressed concern that Amazon was asking the NLRB to “cede an inordinate amount of control over election proceedings.” She specifically denied Amazon’s request for a mailbox.We don’t know what changed, but then USPS decided to install one for them. “Amazon HQ would like to be kept in the loop,” a USPS official informs the entire national and local team.

In a series of heavily redacted emails, it appears that for the next week, Amazon and USPS haggled over the acquisition of a box, what kind of box could be installed, and how quickly it could be done.

Then, on Feb 3rd, a USPS official sent an email stating that it was dedicating time and effort to physically altering a collection box that would meet Amazon’s needs.USPS said it was hollowing out a box that would allow for bulk mail ballot collection.

Amazon demanded USPS install the box by Feb 7, one day before the union vote was to begin. USPS said it was working with Amazon to place that box in a convenient location on the Bessemer campus.

The union election began on February 8th. The box was installed the evening of Feb 9th, late at night, under cover of darkness. As soon as the vote began, Amazon texted employees pressuring them to vote before March 1, even though the election deadline was March 29:“A word from BHM1 leadership: Voting has begun! The US Postal Service has installed a secure mailbox just outside the BHM1 main entrance, making your ballot easy, safe, and convenient. Vote now! BE DONE BY 3/1!”The mailbox was critical for Amazon because it wanted to pressure employees to bring ballots to work that they’d received at home in the mail. By doing this, they could then pressure and monitor employees to submit “no” votes.

The Latest

YouTube Thumbnail
The Man Corporate America Is Most Afraid Of
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
“I’m A Doctor: Corporate Greed Is Killing Your ER”
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
What Happened to Boeing?
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Chicago’s Radical Solution to End Homelessness
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
In This Town, Only The Rich Get Water
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
The Evil Company Buying Subway (And The Rest Of Your Favorite Chains)
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Ban Airbnb? This Town Found a Solution to the Housing Crisis
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
I Work For the King of Beers. I’m Paid Like a Peasant
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
EV Factory Jobs Are Worse Than You Think
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Corruption is Driving Up Your Electricity Bill
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
We Talked To Air Traffic Controllers. What We Heard Will Shock You.
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Why Day Care Costs More Than College
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Whistleblower Exposes Toxic Culture At Rivian
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Elizabeth Warren Warns of National Abortion Ban if GOP Wins in 2024
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
What Liberals Get Wrong About Trump Voters
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Legal Weed Is Being Ruined By Corporate Greed
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
Why Going to the Pharmacy Sucks Now
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
5 Questions with AOC: Trump, Child Labor, Worker Uprisings
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
I build cars for a living and I can’t afford to buy one.
Read More
YouTube Thumbnail
The End of Overdraft Fees Is Finally Happening
Read More