An Amazon Fulfillment Center in Spokane, Washington (GeekWire Photo)
The news: An Amazon Fulfillment Center employee died Thursday after being found in the bathroom of a warehouse in Bessemer, Ala. Bloomberg first covered the news, saying the employee collapsed at the facility, citing unnamed sources. Amazon said it was a personal medical incident and there are no known pre-existing conditions. The company offers grief counseling and support for employees on site.
Statement from Amazon: “We are deeply saddened by the death of a member of our team and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with loved ones during this difficult time.” – Amazon spokeswoman Maria Boschetti
Bessemer camp: The fulfillment center has been the scene of closely watched union efforts over the past month. The warehouse workers at Amazon in Bessemer finally rejected the union representation with 1,798 employees against the union representation and 738 for it by a large margin. The defeat put an end to the most serious efforts to unite part of the workforce at the 27-year-old company, which employs 1.2 million people worldwide.
The retail, wholesale and department store union filed formal objections, accusing Amazon of illegal and forced activities in the weeks leading up to the union’s unsuccessful campaign to organize warehouse workers.