WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite the strongest public support and the most sympathetic president in years, the American labor movement just suffered a stinging defeat -- again.
Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, overwhelmingly voted against joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union in much-anticipated election results announced Friday.
Amazon and business groups celebrated the decision, saying warehouse workers got a chance to weigh the pros and cons of union membership -- and voted to reject it.
But labor activists argue that the lopsided vote shows how unfairly the odds are stacked against union organizing efforts and highlights the need for Congress to reform U.S. labor law.
The House last month passed such legislation, but it looks likely to die in the Senate.
