Labor board denies Amazon request to make hearings over union private

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has denied a request by Amazon to close off public access to a hearing on the validity of a union’s historic win at a Staten Island warehouse.

The e-commerce giant, which is petitioning to overturn the Amazon Labor Union’s win, was seeking to restrict who could view the hearing, which is starting Monday and is being held on Zoom.

An NLRB officer denied the request in a filing Thursday, noting that the agency’s “hearings are not secret.”

“Accordingly, preventing the public from viewing its important processes is not an option,” Cornele Overstreet, the regional director overseeing the hearing, wrote. 

“That this case has garnered national and international attention from outside parties only further solidifies the importance of allowing public observation, as employees and members of the public can be better informed of the purposes and policies of the Act,” he added.

The Washington Post first reported on the board’s decision in this case.

Amazon had argued in a filing Tuesday that allowing the public to view the hearing could interfere with witness testimony.

Because of the interest in the case, it will be “virtually impossible to ensure the proper sequestration of witnesses … unless access is limited,” Amazon claimed.

Overstreet’s decision Thursday noted that third-party observers will have to have their audio and video turned off during the hearing, diminishing the risk of interference. Anyone who does disrupt the hearing will be removed or sanctioned.