US labour officials check ballots in Amazon workers’ union vote

The United States National Labor Relations Board is examing the ballots, and vote tallying might not begin until later this week or the next after Amazon and the union check the eligibility of the ballots cast.

The United States National Labor Relations Board has begun reviewing ballots from Amazon.com Inc’s workers in Alabama, who have voted on whether to form a union, with momentum for future labour organising at the second-largest private employer in the US hanging in the balance. Agents from the labour board began sifting through ballots sent to more than 5,800 workers at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama-based warehouse at 10am Central Time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, as part of a prolonged process expected to last days and spark legal challenges. Tallying votes might not begin until later this week or next, after both Amazon and the union check the eligibility of ballots cast, said a person familiar with the process. Subsequent procedures and objections could further forestall a certified result, the person said.