Union Workers Gain Representation
For the very first time, Amazon has finally seen its union efforts realized.
On April 1st, workers voted in favor of being represented by the Amazon Labor union with a vote of 2,654 to 2,131.
These changes are going into effect for the workers working in Staten Island, New York, which could have implications for other Amazon-operated warehouses across the country. The most obvious question is, are we going to see this popping up more in other parts of the country?
Seeing more workforces within Amazon joining up with union efforts could change many things structurally for Amazon. The way Amazon chooses to work with these unions could have a large effect on its overall supply chain and the way they meet customers’ orders. Looking at the data provided by Statista we can see a massive gain in Amazon’s workforce starting in 2020. And when we say massive we mean MASSIVE. Which makes this question of workforce restructuring all the more relevant.
Amazon is the second-largest U.S. employer only behind Walmart if we exclude Mcdonald’s franchises. Hiring this many workers in this short of time inevitably is going to lead to internal challenges. Will it affect Amazon’s customers?
Logistical inventory, warehouse management, and order fulfillment is no easy task even for small companies, let alone for mid and large-sized companies.
Tech Industry Walkouts and Protests
These kinds of workforce efforts aimed at improving workplace conditions and methods aren’t entirely surprising given the somewhat recent trend of workers in the tech industry speaking up for themselves as well.
Looking at this graph from Statista we can see a massive uptick in documented cases of collective action in the way of unionization efforts, walkouts, protests, and more.
Takeaways
Looking at these metrics begs the question as to “How could this further affect the supply chain in the near future?”. With rapid changes happening in the current state of our quickly evolving world, it’s better to evolve sooner than later.
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