SURPRISED, THAT WAS SENATOR
BERNIE SANDERS’ REACTION TO
AMAZON’S WAREHOUSE WORKERS
EFFORTS TO UNIONIZE IN ALABAMA.
SENATOR SANDERS JOINS ME NOW.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
I WAS DISAPPOINTED BUT ACTUALLY
A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED THAT
AMAZON WAS SO SUCCESSFUL IN ITS
EFFORTS.
THIS WUNTD JUST WORKERS WHO
DECIDE TODAY VOTE ON SOMETHING,
AMAZON PLAYED A REMARKABLE ROLL,
INCLUDING REQUIRING PEOPLE TO
ATTEND MEETINGS AND SORT OF
INTIMIDATING THEM WITH THE IDEA
THAT IF YOU UNIONIZE OUR COSTS
GO UP AND WE MAY HAVE TO LAY
SOME OF YOU OFF.
>> YOU HAVE TO GIVE ENORMOUS
CREDIT TO THE WORKERS IN
ALABAMA.
HERE YOU ARE IN AN ANTI-UNION
STATE, TAKING ON ONE OF THE
LARGEST, MOST PROFITABLE
CORPORATIONS IN THE COMPANY, THE
WEALTHIEST GUY IN THE WORLD AND
YOU ARE LIVING UNDER TERRIBLE
WORKING CONDITIONS, I WAS DOWN
THERE, PEOPLE ARE MONITORED FROM
THE MOMENT THEY GET ON THE JOB.
IT IS VERY HOT.
IT’S A HUGE FACILITY, THEY GET A
HALF HOUR BREAK FROM LUNCH AND
IT TAKES 10 MINUTES TO WALK TO
THE BREAK ROOM.
AND ALL THEY WANTED WAS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND
NEGOTIATE BETTER WAGES, BETTER
WORKING CONDITIONS.
AND BEZOS AND THE COMPANY SPENT
A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DEFEAT
THAT EFFORT.
AND THAT TELLS ME THAT, AMONG
MANY OTHER THINGS, WE NEED
STRONG PRO-LABOR LEGISLATION,
WHICH SAYS THAT WORKERS IN
AMERICA MUST HAVE THE
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FORM A
UNION.
AND RIGHT NOW IT IS SO
DIFFICULT, WHETHER IT’S AMAZON,
WHETHER IT IS WALMART, WHETHER
IT IS ANY ONE OF THESE LARGE
CORPORATIONS, COMPANIES HAVE SO
MUCH POWER TO THREATEN AND
INTIMIDATE, TO PUT PEOPLE IN
CLOSED ROOMS AND TELL THEM OVER
AND OVER AGAIN HOW TERRIBLE
UNIONS ARE.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT MODEL
YOU USE FOR THAT.
BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING
IN AN ANTI-UNION STATE AND THE
FACT THAT SO MANY COMPANIES ARE
ANTI-UNION, BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE
TO BE THAT WAY.
LOOK AT GERMANY, FOR INSTANCE,
UNION MEMBERS HAVE A SEAT AT THE
BOARD SO DECISIONS DON’T TEND TO
BE MADE EXCLUDEING WORKERS.
SO YOU DON’T HAVE THIS AN MOUSE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNION
MEMBERS AND THE COMPANY.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> THIS IS FIXABLE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
NOT ONLY IN GERMANY ARE UNION
MEMBERS MEMBERS OF BOARDS, WHAT
WE’RE SEEING AND HAVING
WORKERS’ COOPERATIVES.
HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE.
IN THE 21st CENTURY WE HAVE GOT TO RETHINK THE ROLE OF WORKERS,
TO RETHINK THE ROLE OF WORKERS,
AND WORKERS ARE NOT JUST SIMPLY
COGS IN THE MACHINE.
THESE ARE HUMANS WHO SHOULD HAVE
SOME SAY OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM
EIGHT HOURS A DAY OR IN THE CASE
OF AMAZON TEN HOURS A DAY.
WHETHER IT’S WORKING ON BOARDS
OR MAKING IT EASIER TO FORM
UNIONS, THAT IS WHAT WE’VE GOT
TO DO.
AS YOU INDICATED IN YOUR
PRESENTATION, THE TRUTH OF THE
MATTER IS WE WOULD NOT HAVE A
MIDDLE CLASS IN THIS COUNTRY
TODAY WITHOUT THE TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT.
WHAT’S HAPPENED OVER MANY YEARS
AS A RESULT OF TERRIBLE TRADE
POLICIES, AS A RESULT OF NOT
RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE, AS A
RESULT OF ANTI-UNION ACTIVITY
MAKING IT SO HARD FOR WORKERS TO
FORM UNIONS, WAGES TODAY ARE
STAGNANT OVER THE LAST MANY,
MANY DECADES.
WORKERS ARE NOT MAKING ANY MORE
TODAY THAN THEY MADE IN REAL
DOLLARS THAN THEY MADE 45 YEARS
AGO.
SO IN A VARIETY OF WAYS WE HAVE
GOT TO END THIS MOVEMENT TOWARDS
OLLIE
OLIGARCHY WHERE SO MANY IN THE
MIDDLE CLASS ARE STRUGGLING AND
ONE WAY WE DO IT IS GIVE WORKERS
MORE POWER ON THE JOB.
>> THAT STATUTE QUOTE SOUNDS TO
SOME LIKE AN EXAGGERATION BUT
IT’S NOT.
I’LL GET THE CHART AND I’LL SHOW
IT TO MY VIEWERS.
THE AVERAGE WORKERS’ WAGE HAS
BEEN STAGNANT FOR 40 YEARS.
LET’S TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
SENATOR SANDERS, I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL
AND THE CONCEPT OF WHETHER THIS