Andy Jassy stated that unionized employees would encounter more difficulties in efficiently completing tasks and would be better off without a union
A federal administrative law judge has determined that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy violated labor laws by making anti-union remarks during media interviews in 2022. Jassy stated that unions make workplaces “much slower” and “more bureaucratic.”
The ruling, issued on Wednesday, stems from a 2022 complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board. Jassy’s comments were made during sit-down interviews where he suggested that workers were better off without a union.
The National Labor Relations Board judge, Brian D. Gee, referenced statements made by Amazon’s CEO on CNBC’s Squawk Box and at two summits hosted by Bloomberg News and the New York Times.
Gee stated that Jassy’s remarks predicting changes in the employee-employer relationship due to unionization were lawful. However, other statements suggesting that employees would have less empowerment under a union and that they would “find it harder to get things done quickly and would be better off” without one violated federal labor law, according to the judge.
Jassy also commented on the limitations in a unionized workplace, saying, “If you see something on the line that you think could be better for your team or you or your customers, you can’t just go to your manager and say, ‘Let’s change it.'”
Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis, in a prepared statement, expressed strong disagreement with the ruling, stating that the company intends to appeal within the administrative law system. She added, “The decision reflects poorly on the state of free speech rights today, and we remain optimistic that we will be able to continue to engage in a reasonable discussion on these issues where all perspectives have an opportunity to be heard.”
Jassy made these remarks during a period of heightened unionization efforts at Amazon, following a landmark victory by the Amazon Labor Union in a union representation vote at a New York City warehouse. The company has persisted in appealing the union’s victory and has declined to engage in bargaining.
In his ruling, Gee recommended that Amazon refrain from “threatening its employees” with such statements in the future and post a notice in its facilities nationwide indicating the company’s compliance with the judge’s decision.