Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s Comments About Unions Violated Federal Law, NLRB Judge Rules

A federal administrative law judge found that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy violated labor law by making anti-union remarks during media interviews two years ago.

The verdict, published Wednesday, comes after the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint in 2022 accusing Jassy of breaching the line during sit-down interviews by saying that workers were better off without a union.

National Labor Relations Board Judge Brian D. Gee cited statements made by Amazon’s CEO on CNBC’s television show “Squawk Box,” as well as two summits arranged by Bloomberg News and the New York Times, in his decision.

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s Comments About Unions Violated Federal Law, NLRB Judge Rules

Gee said Jassy’s projections regarding unionization altering the employee-employer relationship were legal. However, the judge ruled that other statements regarding how employees would be less empowered under a union, “find it harder to get things done quickly, and would be better off” without one violating federal labor law.

In a prepared statement, Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis stated that the business strongly disagrees that “any part of these comments” were inappropriate and plans to challenge the decision through the administrative law system.

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s Comments About Unions Violated Federal Law, NLRB Judge Rules

“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,” Paradis said.

Jassy’s statements come amid intensified unionization attempts at Amazon following the Amazon Labor Union’s historic victory in a union representation ballot at a New York City warehouse. The firm has disputed the union’s victory and refused to negotiate.

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s Comments About Unions Violated Federal Law, NLRB Judge Rules

In his verdict, Gee advised the company to avoid “threatening its employees” with similar comments in the future and to post a notice in its facilities countrywide indicating the company’s compliance with the judge’s decision.

SOURCE – (AP)