Issued April 09, 2021
Washington, D.C. - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement today on the organizing effort at the Amazon warehouse in Bessmer, Ala:
“It’s clearer than ever how the deck is stacked against workers. That’s especially true for the Black workers, women and immigrants who have been systematically written out of the rules. This was a valiant effort to take on one of the world’s most powerful companies that used their power and unlimited resources to keep workers underpaid, unprotected and without a voice.
“The fight continues. The last year of immense hardship and loss--along with all the risks taken to work through a pandemic--has shown that more than ever, workers need a voice on the job through a union. We remain inspired by the workers who are organizing and mobilizing and voting for a social and economic transformation, one that rebalances our economy and strengthens our democracy.
“We need to rewrite the rules, and our elected leaders have a critical role to play: they must expand opportunities for workers to engage in their collective power by passing the PRO Act and creating a caregiving infrastructure that would create millions of good union jobs. They must also bring major employers like Amazon and McDonald’s to the table with the workers who fuel their profits.
“This is not the last word. We mobilized, we voted and now we’re demanding that our elected officials fundamentally change the rules of the game so there is fair play. All workers should be able to easily join a union so we can be respected, protected and paid."