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A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge has found Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in violation of federal labor law for comments he made regarding unionization efforts within the company.
The ruling, issued on Wednesday by NLRB Administrative Law Judge Brian Gee, cited Jassy's remarks made during media interviews in 2022, suggesting that unionization would diminish employee empowerment and impede workplace efficiency.
During interviews with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Bloomberg Television, and The New York Times’ DealBook conference, Jassy expressed concerns about the potential consequences of unionization at Amazon.
He warned that if employees were to vote in favor of a union, workplace processes could become "much slower" and "more bureaucratic," intimating that without a union, Amazon's environment was more conducive to efficiency and empowerment.
Judge Gee's ruling deemed these comments as threatening to employees, implying that unionization would undermine their ability to effect change swiftly and maintain a sense of empowerment in the workplace.
While acknowledging that some of Jassy's remarks regarding the impact of unionization on the worker-employer relationship were lawful, the judge deemed his assertions about diminished empowerment unlawful under federal labor law.
The NLRB filed the complaint against Amazon and Jassy in October 2022, leading to this recent ruling.
In response to the decision, Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis stated that the company disagrees with the NLRB's ruling and intends to appeal.
Paradis emphasized Amazon's commitment to engaging in reasonable discussions on labor issues, advocating for a platform where all perspectives can be heard.
As part of the judge's recommendations, Amazon may be ordered to "cease and desist" from making similar comments in the future.
Additionally, the company could be required to post and distribute a notice about the ruling to its employees nationwide.
This ruling comes amidst ongoing debates about labor rights and unionization efforts within tech giants like Amazon.
