Freelance writer 
Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, said some things about unions in interviews last year that were not allowed
Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, said some things about unions in interviews last year that were not allowed. He said that having a union would make Amazon slower and have more rules. He told people that with a union, it would be harder for workers to make changes quickly. He gave an example that if a worker saw something they wanted to change on the production line, they couldn’t just tell their manager – there would be more steps involved.
Judge’s Ruling
A judge named Brian D. Gee looked at what Jassy said and decided that some of his comments went too far. It’s okay to predict how unions might change the relationship between a company and its workers. But the judge said Jassy implied that workers would have less power and a harder time getting things done if they had a union. That’s not allowed.
The judge told Amazon not to threaten its workers with comments like that about unions anymore. He ordered Amazon to put up notices in all its buildings across the country saying the company will follow the ruling.
Amazon to Appeal
Someone from Amazon said the company disagrees strongly with the ruling and plans to appeal it. They said Jassy’s comments were just an open discussion about unions, and that companies should be allowed to talk freely about unions.
The ruling happened while more Amazon workers are trying to form unions, including workers at a warehouse in New York City last year who were able to form a union (but Amazon is appealing that too).
Union Rebuke of Illegal Tactics
People who support unions were happy with the ruling. They said it shows that companies like Amazon often threaten workers illegally to stop them from forming unions. Even CEOs can’t say too many anti-union things.
But since Amazon plans to appeal, the legal fight over what Jassy said is likely not over yet.
