An appeals court in Manhattan has overturned a 2022 district court order that prevented Amazon from terminating employees who support union activities. The order was initially issued by U.S. District Judge Diane Gujarati in response to Amazon's 2020 firing of union organizer Gerald Bryson from the JFK8 Staten Island warehouse for allegedly unsafe COVID-19 protests. The appeals court ruled that the original order lacked sufficient explanation, deeming it an abuse of discretion by the district court. This decision comes amidst ongoing tensions at Amazon, as its JFK8 warehouse was the first U.S. Amazon facility to successfully unionize in April 2022, a move Amazon has contested. The case highlights significant legal battles over employee rights and unionization efforts within the company.
See "Appeals Court Throws Out Order Barring Amazon From Firing Pro-Union Employees", Cailey Gleeson , Forbes , June 13, 2024