After Union Defeat, Can Amazon Be Beaten?

Sonali Kolhatkar speaks with Kshama Sawant about if Amazon can be defeated.

A highly watched vote among Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama has resulted in a resounding defeat for the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union. Union activists worked hard for months to convince the nearly 6,000 workers, 85% of whom are Black, to vote to join a union. But ultimately, Amazon’s scare tactics appear to have worked. Only about 2,500 workers voted, and of that number only 738 voted to join the union.

Today we’ll turn to a person who has faced off against Amazon and knows firsthand how to take on the behemoth retailer. Elected to represent the city where Amazon is headquartered, Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant has led the enactment of a big business tax aimed at Amazon and is now facing a rightwing recall for her actions.

For more information on the Kshama Solidarity Campaign visit https://www.kshamasolidarity.org/.

Kshama Sawant, a member of Seattle’s City Council a proud socialist who survived a massive Amazon-funded campaign against her re-election and who now faces a politically motivated recall campaign.