Holy shit! He did it! Just to be clear: FDR never said this about any particular labor struggle, nor did he say workers generally should join a union (as the CIO cleverly attributed to him). So…this is, um, better than expected. And yes—the Bernie/Warren/AOC faction *matters.* https://t.co/UwO7lUlCz6
— Richard Yeselson (@yeselson) March 1, 2021
… Biden didn’t mention Amazon, but specifically referenced “workers in Alabama” in the video and a tweet introducing it. He said every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union, and no employer could take that away. “It’s your right…So make your voice heard,” he said.
“Unions lift up workers, both union and non-union, but especially Black and Brown workers,” Biden said in the video. “There should be no intimidation, no coercion, no threats, no anti-union propaganda. No supervisor should confront employees about their union preferences.”
Amazon, America’s second-biggest private employer, has no unionized labor in the United States, and workers at its fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, would be the first if they vote in favor. Such a decision could encourage workers attempting to organize at other Amazon facilities…
Biden has vowed to increase union membership in the United States after years of steady declines.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the union membership rate in the private sector was around 6.2% in 2019, compared to around 20% in 1983.
Monday Morning Open Thread: The President FlexesPost + Comments (209)