Union Matters

Bessemer Amazon workers get a second chance

By STEPHON JOHNSON

Amsterdam News Staff

Bessemer, Alabama Amazon workers have one more chance to form a union. This time, it won’t be with any interference.

This week, the director of Region 10 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision officially establishing a second vote for Amazon workers at the retail giant’s fulfillment center in Bessemer. Amazon officials were accused of intimidating workers through various means to influence the vote.

In August, it was determined that Amazon violated labor law, and the NLRB’s hearing officer recommended the regional director direct a second election.

No dates have been announced for the new election as well as the means of voting.

Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), stated that the NLRB’s decision proved what he’d been saying all along.

“Today’s decision confirms what we were saying all along—that Amazon’s intimidation and interference prevented workers from having a fair say in whether they wanted a union in their workplace—and as the regional director

has indicated, that is both unacceptable and illegal. Amazon workers deserve to have a voice at work, which can only come from a union,” said Appelbaum.

RWDSU officials had filed a complaint with the NLRB earlier this year challenging the results of an election held by workers at an Amazon wish fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama. They accused Amazon of violating parts of the National Labor Relations Act. The union said it was helping workers fight for better wages, benefits, and worker conditions.

The original organizing ended with 1,798 “no” votes, 738 “yes” votes, 76 “void” ballots, and 505 uncounted ballots that were challenged by RWDSU officials. The NLRB said, in a statement, that their challenges weren’t sufficient in numbers to alter the outcome of the vote.

After the vote failed, union leaders said Amazon purposely had a collection/mailbox installed in front of the facility and had security cameras monitoring the collection box for votes. They also, allegedly, pressured workers into

bringing their ballots to work and dropping them in the collection boxes the company established.

Back in March, the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Protect the Right To Organize (PRO) Act, which includes forbidding employer interference and influence in union elections. The goal of the PRO Act was to stop employers from using a worker’s immigration status against them and shield them from the effects of the Janus v. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court decision that lets workers opt out of the union but still receive the same benefits.

Bessemer workers complained that restroom and stretching counted towards “time off task” (TOT), the company tracked how many packages each individual worker scanned through, and that they were given an automated write-up every 30 minutes.

RWDSU, after allegedly obtaining emails via a Freedom of Information Act request, showed that Amazon’s leadership pushed the U.S. Postal Service to install mailboxes outside of the Bessemer warehouse.

Amazon has stood firm in its beliefs and principles all year. In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said, “Our employees have always had the choice of whether or not to join a union, and they overwhelmingly chose not to join the R.W.D.S.U. earlier this year. It’s disappointing that the NLRB has now decided that those votes shouldn’t count. As a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees.

“While we’ve made great progress in important areas like pay and safety, we know there are plenty of things that we can keep doing better, both in our fulfillment centers and in our corporate offices, and that’s our focus—to work directly with our employees to keep getting better every day,” continued Nantel.

Bessemer Amazon workers get second chance to organize (Photo courtesy of jetcityimage via iStock)

The marijuana legalization issue from the eyes of an educator in the Black community

By CLARENCE WILLIAMS JR.

While visiting a middle school in the Bronx, an 8th grade student asked me, “Why is marijuana becoming legal?” I thought this was a good question. Other than revenue, I did not have a good answer. As an educator, I tend to look at legislation and policies from the lens of what impact will this have on children and the message that we give to them. This brings me to the legalization of marijuana. This is a multi-pronged subject that covers health, social, economic, and cultural issues, not to mention the history of drugs in American society and more importantly in our inner cities throughout America. As a child of the ’70s in Harlem, I witnessed the devastating effect drugs had on my community. In junior high school we had drug counselors talk to us about drug abuse. They told us the following: it’s a gateway drug, it affects shortterm memory, it kills brain cells, it’s addictive. The position was clear: “Stay away from drugs.” Flash forward to today. Celebrities are on TV endorsing weed; some are invested in cannabis businesses. The rhetoric around this subject is user friendly. So, what changed? The product, the policy, the science, social acceptance or all the above?

So, did my counselors get it right? We were told that marijuana is a gateway drug. I compare this to gambling. Some people can go to Las Vegas and gamble and know when to stop, others are addicted and lose the children’s college fund and the house. Of course, marijuana is a gateway drug and of course it isn’t. According to the CDC, “People who use marijuana and do go on to use other drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) may have a higher risk of dependence or addiction to those drugs, especially if they started using marijuana at an early age and use it frequently.” Just like any other vice it depends on the user. So maybe the message to children should be, this could lead to harder drugs. I cannot think of a more significant message to children exposed to the horrors of drug abuse in the inner cities. In a 2016 article Robert L. Dupont stated, “People who are addicted to marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to heroin.” This does not support the gateway theory; however, it does suggest the correlation and behavioral aspects of these drugs. As I mentioned, I like to look at current events from the lens of an educator, but on a more granular level, I also look at it with an equity lens. What are the ramifications of marijuana on lowincome inner cities that are populated by Black and Brown people? The CDC lists the following factors that contribute to marijuana abuse, they include: Family history Having another mental health illness (such as anxiety or depression) Peer pressure Loneliness or social isolation Lack of family involvement Drug availability Socioeconomic status Most of the above––however not exclusively––are prevalent in inner cities of America. Research shows that health issues in the inner cities are a high priority, ranking with economics, education housing and crime. Pfizer states that, “Blacks are 20% more likely to report psychological distress and 50% less likely to receive counseling or mental health treatment due to the aforementioned underlying socioeconomic factors.” If we compound these issues with preexisting conditions in the Black and Brown communities, the use of marijuana has a significant effect on inner city communities more so than in suburbia. The CDC further states, “The association between marijuana and schizophrenia is stronger in people who start using marijuana at an earlier age and use marijuana more frequently.” Although marijuana use is evident in all walks of life, legalization will remove the stigmatism surrounding it by making it socially acceptable, usage will no doubt increase, and the pre-existing health concerns will still not be addressed in communities of color. When I hear people say hey it’s ok, I’ll ask, for who? During Prohibition alcohol usage was limited to speakeasies and illegal juke joints; legalization created widespread usage that the mob could only dream of. As a result, alcoholrelated crimes in people of color significantly surpassed that of whites. We must be careful of the message we send. The legal message sent will be, to be consumed with responsibility and of legal age (sound familiar?), but the message heard will be, it’s cool. Because we all know underaged people do not consume alcohol and cigarettes. I have witnessed personally this is easier to do in low-income inner cities than in mainstream markets.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, during the 2019/’20 school year, grade 8 African American students were at a 17% proficiency level in English Language Arts and a 12% proficiency in math, compared to their white counterparts in the same grade, these percentages doubled (which is still low). I chose this grade since it’s considered to be an age where they are still in the stage of cognitive brain development. According to the CDC, marijuana affects brain development in babies, children, and teenagers. This will likely create a disproportionality in the cognitive development of Black and Brown students. I am not suggesting that marijuana is the cause for these statistics, but it makes you wonder where our priorities should be for our future and what we should be promoting.

The CDC states the following, “Marijuana use directly affects the brain—specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time. Developing brains, like those in babies, children, and teens, are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of marijuana.”

We must look at marijuana and how it affects people of color as compared to other people. We cannot afford to use generalized data to speak to the effects of Black and Brown consequences, no more than we can look at incarceration rates in America and make a statement on their significance without looking at disproportionality of different ethnic groups in the penal system. In speaking with marijuana users and advocates (the two are not always exclusive) they use generalized data to justify the use of it. Celebrities who endorse marijuana often take this stance. How can someone who is worth $50 million have the same consequences as inner-city children who have vastly different qualities of life? For example, general data will state that there is very little difference in marijuana use in the Black and white communities, research and data suggest this is true, however according to NORML, a nonprofit public interest lobby, African Americans are arrested for violating marijuana possession laws at nearly four times the rates of whites with Blacks representing 94% of those arrested.

If COVID has taught us anything, it is that the high rate of infection in the urban community is exacerbated by the health issues that plague these communities.

If you chose to smoke or consume marijuana that is of course your choice but look at your profile and who you are to accurately assess the health risk and social ramifications that personally affect you rather than listening to someone on TV who doesn’t know you, telling you it’s ok. Remember, our children are watching and the message they receive will be the same, but the consequences and actions of that message will depend on where they are coming from.

Jan. 6 insurrection, Rittenhouse, echoes of Trump remain

In this moment of giving, we hope that those insurrectionists charged in the attack on the Capitol last Jan. 6 get what’s coming to them. To date, 702 people have been arrested and charged with crimes, making this one of the most documented crimes in U.S. history.

The FBI is still seeking a countless number of marauders who were able to do damage and walk away from the destruction and death they left behind. They were summoned by Trump and proEDITORIAL voked in their swarm on the epitome of our democracy, wielding all sorts of weapons they used to break windows, smash doors, generally run amok and create a dangerous situation. Thus far, 129 rioters have entered guilty pleas. We applaud the FBI for a change in poring over footage, social media platforms, and other data that could lead to the apprehension of others who took part in the mayhem. It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives were unable to vote in a commission to investigate the incident, a measure blocked by Republicans, many of whom were just as vulnerable as Democrats during the tumult.

There is probably little chance that all of those involved will be brought to justice, but those now under arrest should feel the full brunt of the law for their so-called patriotic chaos. In many respects their unlawful action was very similar to the vigilantism of the McMichaels, William Bryan, and Kyle Rittenhouse.

Year after year, month after month—no, day after day—we witness yet another violent attack in which people have chosen to take the law into their own hands, and far too often with impunity.

We were pleased that some measure of justice arrived with the convictions in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, but this was a senseless crime and there is no amount of grieving and compensation that can replace his loss to family and friends.

Our sentiments are extended to the families who lost two valued citizens in Kenosha, where a killer claimed he was under attack and had to defend himself.

To see him standing proudly and smiling with Trump is an insult to injury, a place that many of the raiders on Jan. 6 would probably gladly share—and Trump would warmly embrace them.

If the insurrectionists choose to pose with Trump let them all be behind bars and facing long terms of incarceration.

Clarence Williams Jr. is a retired assistant superintendent in the New York city public school system. He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership, a master’s in education administration, and a master’s in multicultural education. Williams Jr. has a K-12 license in special education and educational leadership, has worked as an educator and leader in the public school system for over 30 years and is an adjunct professor.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the New York Amsterdam News. We continue to publish a variety of viewpoints so that we may know the opinions of others that may differ from our own.

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

It is always humbling to learn something new. Life is, by design, a continuous journey from the unknown to the known. From the old to the new. My most recent learning experience occurred last week, when I learned of the travesties befalling our country’s youth. We often read depressing headlines such as, “100,000 individuals died of drug overdoses last year” but seldom pause to consider the people behind these statistics.

Over the past two decades, so-called “designer drugs” have infiltrated the country from South America and China, harming, poisoning, and killing the country’s youth in droves. MDMA, ecstasy, fentanyl, and other opioids provide a rapid escape for young people from the reality of the world around them. Tragically, for far too many, that escape becomes permanent.

Something particularly distressing that I discovered is the impact that unnecessary procedures have on children. Around 80% of knee operations performed each year are entirely unnecessary. Apart from the long-term medical consequences of knee surgery, which often result in subsequent operations and restricted mobility for the rest of a child’s life, it also results in drug addiction. Highly addictive medicines such as Oxycontin and Percocet are given to children as young as 13 years old. They need more of a fix as soon as they complete their doctor-prescribed dose, which leads them to cheaper and more powerful alternatives such as heroin. That is exactly what is happening throughout the nation today, with so many people dying as a result of drug overdoses.

Even more so, sadness and anxiety have ensnared our country’s youth in a vise-like grasp. The erroneous reality of “likes” and “views” has caused young people to continuously compare themselves to morally bankrupt influencers who went to the top by happenstance. These influencers provide a polished version of themselves but and never the reality. In turn, young people yearn for their lives and looks and become depressed when it becomes unattainable. Drug usage falls squarely in line with this issue as well, for their inability to achieve perfection or their desire to emulate their role models’ actions leads them down a dark path of self-destruction and, sometimes, death.

These lethal chemicals are readily acquired from other students and opportunistic drug dealers, particularly on college campuses. Worse, anxiety medications such as Xanax and “study medicines” such as Adderall are readily obtained via duplicitous university physicians. As a result, children develop a dangerous addiction to deadly substances that can lead to further drug usage and experimentation with different drugs. The normalization and common acceptance of these drugs also has far-reaching effects, leading those who would otherwise not be predisposed to taking the drugs inevitably doing so out of pressure, necessity, or the expectation that the normalcy of the drugs consumption should give them safe passage to ingesting it as well.

Our youth’s role models do not assist either. Rappers such as Lil Nas X and Future rap about pervasive immoral conduct and extravagant drug usage. To millions of shouting fans, youth anthems like Future’s “Mask Off” repeat the mantra “Percocet, molly, Percocet.” Are these rappers unaware that they are promoting the normalization of lethal and harmful narcotics among innocent children? On the other hand, Lil Nas X raps about having sexual relations with Satan, even posting a violent music video about it. While they are certainly within their rights to espouse these dangerous ideals, it goes without saying that one ought not to light a cigarette in a child’s mouth.

What we are seeing in our country is nothing short of a moral decline of epic proportions. We are dying morally and physically. Much is made of the fatal COVID-19 outbreak, and rightly so, but with all the attention that COVID-19 receives, shouldn’t we be concentrating just as much, if not more, on the soaring number of young children dying of drug overdoses in our country? Consider why the mainstream media seems to be unconcerned with the drug overdose epidemic that is claiming our children in droves. Apart from an annual headline, they devote little effort to this subject. Their hushed tones are overwhelming, their silence is deafening, and their carelessness is deadly.

Regrettably, the Biden administration may be fostering increased drug distribution and usage in the nation through his policies and activities. So many drugs enter the nation through the southern border, which Biden has largely opened for free access. Our government’s flagrant ignorance of a critical problem affecting our population shows a clear dereliction of their duties; they have voluntarily allowed citizens of the country, those who they have sworn to protect, to die at the hands of drugs while simultaneously giving every bit of help they can to foreigners who have little legal justification for coming to our country. Biden was chosen to safeguard our nation both inside and outside, now there is a battle being waged against our children, and we are losing miserably. It is time to act, Mr. President.

December is upon us

CHRISTINA GREER PH.D.

It’s official. Fall is a fleeting memory; it is getting cold, cold. It feels like darkness comes just a few hours after I wake up each day. The leaves are almost all gone off the trees. And we have just one more month left in 2021.

I don’t know about you, but this year felt like it flew by. We began this year with the insurrection on January 6th, the Georgia Senate runoff and the victory of the Rev. Raphael Warnock as the first African American senator from the state of Georgia. The inauguration of Joe Biden and the end of the stress-inducing era of the 45th president.

COVID has been a constant this year, surging and still claiming the lives of far too many people in the United States and around the world. However, the resilience of people always amazes me. We’ve seen children figure out ways to maintain their wondrous spirits, even while wearing masks. Many people discovered the beauty and simplicity of nature. Others realized that work needs to be scaled back and priorities pertaining to friends and family need to be moved to the forefront.

One thing is for sure, we have been changed as a nation and 2021 will soon end, marking our first full year living with a global pandemic. So, what do I want to do before the year ends? I’ve been thinking a lot about my goals, personal and professional. Sadly, I did not keep a journal during this time (even though I encouraged my students to do so).

I always see December as a time to begin to reset and prioritize. It is also a time to tie up loose ends and plan for the new year. Of course, I am excited about New York City’s municipal Inauguration Day on January 1st. And as I prepare for that new beginning, I want to do a few things before the year ends.

First, I want to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and see their winter light show. I want to complete a significant draft of the book I am writing about Barbara Jordan, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Stacey Abrams. I want to clean out some of my closets and drawers and get rid of clothes and miscellaneous items I’ve been holding on to for far too long. I want to write a few old friends a proper letter to check in on them and let them know I think of them during these insane times.

What are some of your goals for these final weeks in 2021? What are you hoping to accomplish (or take off your plate) before the year ends? These last 18 months have shown us that time is fleeting and life is precious, so let’s make the most of it. Happy December!

"What are some of your goals for these final weeks in 2021? What are you hoping to accomplish (or take off your plate) before the year ends?"

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” and the co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.