BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A new study reveals how Amazon deployed algorithmic management to quash unionization efforts at its Bessemer warehouse, reinforcing concerns over corporate surveillance and worker suppression in the heart of the Deep South.
The study, published in Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, details how Amazon used digital monitoring and automated systems to track worker behavior, discouraging organizing efforts at the Bessemer facility, where employees sought to unionize in 2021. Conducted by researcher Teke Wiggin, the study draws on 42 worker interviews and internal court documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Bessemer, a predominantly Black, working-class city outside Birmingham, became a national flashpoint in the fight for labor rights when Amazon workers attempted to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The study highlights how Amazon’s extensive surveillance mechanisms not only dictated productivity expectations but also allowed the company to monitor interactions and quickly counteract union activity.
Workers described a workplace environment where their every move was tracked, and organizing efforts were met with swift pushback. The study outlines how Amazon leveraged its data-driven management system to deploy anti-union messaging, control access to pro-union information, and create a climate of uncertainty among employees.
Despite widespread support from labor advocates and even national political figures, the unionization push ultimately fell short. The National Labor Relations Board later found that Amazon engaged in unfair labor practices, leading to a second vote, which also resulted in a union loss.
The study’s findings raise questions about the role of technology in labor disputes and whether current labor laws are equipped to handle corporate giants like Amazon. In Alabama, where right-to-work laws have long favored employers, the struggle for worker rights remains an uphill battle.
Bessemer’s organizing effort may not have succeeded, but it underscored a broader fight against corporate control over workers. As labor movements gain traction nationwide, the lessons from Amazon’s Bessemer warehouse remain a stark reminder of the power imbalance between workers and the companies that employ them.