Some Delaware’s legislators are putting their support behind the union drive at an Amazon Warehouse in Alabama.
22 lawmakers from Dover sent a letter to Jeff Bezos encouraging a free and fair union election at the Amazon warehouse in Bessmer, which is currently underway.
Among those signing on are the chairs of the House and Senate Labor committees and some leadership in each chamber.
State Sen. Nicole Poore (D-New Castle) is vice chair of the Senate Labor committee and her New Castle area district is home to one of Amazon’s two fulfillment centers in Delaware.
“There are just some discrepancies that I think could be built better by them having the opportunity to unionize — and it sounds like that’s the way the workers want to go," said Poore. "And the fact that our own President underscores this message as well then this is the right thing to do.”
Poore says she’s noticed a loss in workers rights with the shrinking of the U.S. manufacturing industry, and this push by Amazon workers signifies a new generation of workers wanting to be a part of a union.
She hasn’t talked with any workers that work at the fulfillment center in New Castle, but says she’d support their decisions to unionize if the time came.
“This gives us the ability to support the employees and I do have people in my district that work for Amazon you’re absolutely correct," said Poore. "And if they choose to want to unionize, I want to make sure that my support is behind them.”
Poore adds the General Assembly is not considering an examination of state labor laws yet, but it could be a possibility if workers rights issues start popping up in the First State.
Roman Battaglia a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
