In a surprising twist, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) joined the ranks of SpaceX and Trader Joe’s in pushing back against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), asserting that the agency’s very existence is unconstitutional. The move comes as a response to a complaint from NLRB prosecutors.
From The Start: Amazon’s filing is a rebuttal to allegations of unlawful retaliation against workers at a New York City warehouse who voted to unionize nearly two years ago, as reported by the Associated Press.
Amazon has vehemently denied many of the charges and is calling for the dismissal of the complaint. The company’s legal team argues that the structure of the NLRB violates the separation of powers and encroaches on executive authority enshrined in the Constitution.
Reacting to Amazon’s legal action, lawyer Seth Goldstein, representing the Amazon Labor Union and Trader Joe’s United, expressed deep concern, labeling the trend as extremely “frightening.” “Since they can’t defeat successful union organizing, they now want to just destroy the whole process,” he said.
Implications: Amazon’s legal maneuver follows similar actions undertaken by SpaceX and Trader Joe’s in a separate lawsuit and an agency hearing last month.
SpaceX also filed a lawsuit against the NLRB in January, alleging that the agency’s structure violates the constitution. This came after the NLRB accused the company of wrongful termination of employees who penned a critical open letter about Elon Musk, in addition to creating an atmosphere suggestive of worker surveillance.
Likewise, during a labor board hearing in January regarding accusations of retaliation against union activism at Trader Joe’s, a legal representative for the grocery chain argued that the NLRB and its administrative law judges’ panel are structured unconstitutionally.
Notably, last year, the NLRB filed a complaint against Amazon for refusing to bargain with a New York workers’ union, seeking remedies, including an order for Amazon to bargain in good faith with the union representing over 8,300 workers at its JFK8 fulfillment center.
Similarly, Apple was accused by the federal labor board of not extending a benefits increase to unionized retail employees last year. A regional director of the NLRB filed a complaint, alleging that the technology company breached federal labor regulations.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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