Democratic socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is scheduled to visit Alabama this Friday, a spokesperson told media outlets on Wednesday morning.
Sanders will travel to meet with Amazon employees in Bessemer, reports advised.
When Sanders traveled to Birmingham during the 2020 presidential campaign cycle, he vowed to end Alabama’s right-to-work status, which has been codified in state law since 1953.
However, even though he was not elected president, Sanders is still on the attack. And he has apparently found an ally in President Joe Biden, who previously weighed in on the ongoing unionization vote in Bessemer.
The likes of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams and Hollywood activist Danny Glover have also publicly backed the Alabama unionization effort.
Amazon employees are voting on whether to join the New York City-based Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
Per the latest available data from the Alabama Department of Labor, Bessemer has the third-highest rate of unemployment among the state’s major cities.
On top of the Bessemer fulfillment center, Amazon late last year announced its plans to open two delivery stations in Alabama: one in Bessemer and one in Birmingham. These stations will reportedly create hundreds of full- and part-time associate jobs, all paying at least $15 per hour, in addition to hundreds of driver opportunities for Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners and Amazon Flex drivers.
However, all of this progress could come to a screeching halt if history is any indicator.
RWDSU was the union involved in the 2019 cancellation of Amazon’s plans to open a second headquarters in New York City, reportedly killing 25,000-40,000 planned jobs in the area. Ocasio-Cortez was a vocal ally of the union in those efforts, as well.
On top of Amazon’s $15 minimum wage, the company offers industry-leading benefits to full-time employees, which include comprehensive health care from day one, 401(k) with 50% match, up to 20 weeks paid parental leave and Amazon’s innovative Career Choice program, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields. Since the program’s launch four years ago, more than 25,000 employees have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, just to name a few.
The company argues that a union would offer redundant benefits while costing employees significant dues.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
