A fired Amazon employee who organized a Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union drive will be reinstated to her job after filing a complaint with NLRB. She was terminated for what the union described as failures of the company's own systems.
(Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Jennifer Bates, an Amazon.com, Inc. fulfillment center employee, stands for a portrait at the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) office in Birmingham, Alabama on March 26, 2021.
Reinstating Fired Union Organizer
Amazon announced that the company will be reinstating Jennifer Bates to her job after firing her a few weeks ago for missing work. According to a report from Bloomberg, Bates was a leader of a Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) drive who works at the company's Bessemer, Alabama warehouse.
Spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis released a statement and said, "After a full review of her case, we're pleased that our appeal process continues to work as designed." She added that the company could have done better to ensure Bates had clarity about what was needed to avoid firing her.
The company added that they are encouraging her to file an appeal, following the announcement of restoring her employment. Bates will get reinstated with back pay, which is the case for any employee in a similar situation.
Firing Bates
RWDSU stated that Jennifer Bates was previously terminated from the company for what they believed as failures of the company's own system. She had to take a medical leave to sustain injuries during her job, but the app that handles many Amazon human resources functions would not allow her to submit documentation from doctors following her return to work.
As Bates returned to work after being sent home to deal with her injuries, she learned that her access to the AtoZ app was already disabled. The company argued that due to her unresponsiveness to requests for additional information about her leave, Paradis stated that the company decided to fire Bates.
Union President Stuart Appelbaum accused the company of attempting to stifle one of the drive's most outspoken leaders of this movement, as Bates made it clear that she would not be silenced despite the company's power and resources.
In a statement sent by the RWDSU, ABC News reported that Bates described Amazon's action as unjust for firing her and stifling a movement. But as she go through this process, she was incredibly humbled by the outpouring of support from the people.
She also shared the lesson that she has learned throughout this process. She stated, "If there's a lesson to be learned, it's that today Amazon workers everywhere now know that when you're under attack, you have to stand up and fight back, because when we fight, clearly, we win!"
Also Read: Amazon Employees Walkout Over Company's Climate Impact, Return-To-Office Policy
Prior to her termination, Associated Press reported that Bates led the charge in speaking out against the company's workplace safety issues as the company failed to treat workers with respect. She also testified in Washington at a hearing on income inequality.
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