{"id":2224,"date":"2020-12-15T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=2224"},"modified":"2020-12-15T14:36:39","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T14:36:39","slug":"unions-protect-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/unions-protect-workers","title":{"rendered":"How Unions Protect Workers From Retribution During the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ken Green
CEO\/Founder
UnionTrack<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 has made reporting for duty both essential and risky for millions of front-line workers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unions are positioned to help keep these workers safe and economically secure through collective bargaining and lobbying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers, however, have made it as difficult as possible for their employees to turn to unions for help navigating these unprecedented times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers Have Fought Unionization Throughout the Pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As workers try to balance self-protection and financial security, often trying to turn to unions for assistance, they are being met with resistance by employers who view the pandemic as an opportunity to exploit workers. Those who have tried to speak up or organize their coworkers have faced employer retaliation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeveral employers have responded by stepping up attempts to oppose unionization, repeal workers\u2019 rights won in bargaining, and fire workers en masse who had recently publicized intent to organize a union in their workplace,\u201d labor and investigative reporter Michael Sainato<\/a> writes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combative employers are taking \u201cadvantage of a pandemic to frustrate workers\u2019 ability to organize and get better representation for themselves so they\u2019re not risking their lives to perform essential services,\u201d says Celine McNicholas<\/a>, government affairs director at the Economic Policy Institute. This is happening at both large corporations and small businesses across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazon Lays Off Labor Activists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In March, Christian Smalls, an assistant manager at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, was fired the same day he helped organize a strike to protect the company\u2019s safety practices amid the pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a report by Tyler Sonnemaker<\/a> at Business Insider, Amazon claims to have fired Smalls for violating a self-quarantine order. But the timing of the termination led to suspicion he was fired for his efforts to organize workers at the warehouse. Smalls later filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for violations of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that was only the first such termination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April, the company fired Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa<\/a> for publicly criticizing working conditions in the company\u2019s warehouses during the pandemic. Amazon claimed the workers\u2019 statements were a violation of company policy that prohibits employees from publicly disparaging the company, Jay Greene<\/a> at The Washington Post writes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cunningham and Costa say they were terminated because of their vocal and public activism. They claim the company tried to shut down a virtual event they organized for employees to voice their frustrations with the company\u2019s coronavirus response. \u201cThey were targeting the most visible leaders in an attempt to silence everyone,\u201d said Costa.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That includes warehouse worker Bashir Mohamed<\/a>, who was fired in April for supposedly refusing to speak to his supervisor. Mohamed told BuzzFeed News he believes he was fired for his labor organizing efforts and encouraging coworkers to advocate for better working conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of these terminations was done almost immediately after the employee participated in some sort of organizing activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can only conclude that instead of listening to the people who are actually risking their lives on the frontlines, Amazon would rather they just shut up about Amazon working conditions, which are now a national public health concern,\u201d says the Athena Coalition<\/a>, which helped organize the protest with Smalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"delivery<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other Companies Have Retaliated Against Activist Employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Amazon isn\u2019t the only company accused of laying off workers for speaking up for better working conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n