Alabama Amazon workers may see a union election rerun after NLRB official's recommendation

The NLRB has yet to issue a formal decision on an election redo.

Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama may get a second shot at voting to form a union after a hearing officer with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that Amazon illegally discouraged union organization, according to an internal report. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) -- which sought to represent Amazon workers at the Bessemer, Alabama, fulfillment center -- filed objections to the union election shortly after the closely watched vote earlier this year. Amazon warehouse workers voted not to form a labor union in April, a move many labor activists regarded as a major blow to the already beleaguered organized labor movement in the U.S. The RDWSU accused Amazon of conducting union-busting tactics that impeded a fair election in its objections filed with the NLRB. The board has yet to announce a formal decision on whether a new election will be ordered. That decision is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, after the recommendations are reviewed by a regional director. The 60-page report by an NLRB hearing officer that was obtained by ABC News said the union's objections should be sustained and recommended a redo of the high-profile union election. The report states that evidence demonstrates Amazon interfered with conditions necessary to conduct a fair election by distributing "vote no" paraphernalia in the presence of supervisors and managers. It also said the company's decision to install a generic mail collection box less than 50 feet from the main entrance to its facility could have blocked a fair vote.