 For more videos on people's struggles, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thousands of workers at the Amazon Bessemer warehouse in Alabama, a U.S. state with laws discouraging unionization, have begun voting to decide whether to unionize or not. More than 5,800 ballots were sent out on Monday, February 8th to all the workers in the Bessemer unit, BHM1, to decide if they want to join the retail, wholesale and department store union. Considering the ongoing COVID-19 and to ensure the federal safety measures, workers will have until March 29th to cast their votes. The Federal Labor Watchdog National Labor Relations Board is overseeing the unionization vote and has repeatedly shot down Amazon's effort to either delay or junk the vote altogether. Amazon has a history of taking retaliatory actions against workers who have attempted to organize. The crucial vote is the second of its kind to take place in any of the Amazon warehouses in the United States after the failure of the first attempt by workers at the Middleton Delaware plant in New Jersey in the year 2014. This voting is a result of years of efforts by the trade union movements to organize delivery workers in the country. The state of Alabama is one of the 27 states with right-to-work anti-union laws which favors individual compromises for dispute settlements over collective bargaining. As a result, Alabama as a whole has an abysmal unionization rate of 8% less than the historic national law of 10.5% in the year 2019. The BHM1 unit was started about a year ago in 2020 after demand for delivery of goods went up during the pandemic. During the peak of the ongoing pandemic, delivery and warehousing workers across the United States have been demanding their due for working on the front lines, risking outbreaks and infections. Who get docked it? I get TOT tied for going to the bathroom. Who get docked it for going to get going to get water if you need water if you have to leave off your station? Having received a COVID pay, they've been on for weeks. Some people are back to work and still having received COVID pay. Man, this is heartbreaking. A lot of people need their money. They don't have a way to pay their bills and they're looking for a pay that's supposed to come to them but haven't received it yet. A lot of walking. It's a lot of fast pace. It's a lot of climbing upstairs. It's just a lot for the human body. It's tiring. It's consistent. It's fast speed. It's unsafe because you consistently working fast pace 10 hours. Only two breaks. They're getting treated like robots and it's not fair because even robots break down sometimes. The November 2020 petition for union elections to the NLRV alone received signatures from more than 3,000 of the 5,800 employees at the warehouse. A rally in support of the yes vote was organized by the RWDSU on Sunday along with community leaders and groups like Alabama Coalition for Community Benefits. More than 100 people participated in it, despite heavy rain in the winter. Dozens of residents who could not attend the rally placed signs and placards outside their houses in support of the union. The campaign has already received support and solidarity from national progressive figures like Vermont Senator and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders who delivered free pizzas to rally participants. The local chapter of the left wing party for socialism and liberation and also members of the best American community have come out overwhelmingly in support of the campaign. Taking a vote on such an important decision can be difficult, especially in an economic climate where people are worried about their jobs. But remember that we are part of a union that has the power to protect our workers and our rights. We know the importance of collective bargaining and how it can bring us better wages, better benefits and better working conditions. Everyone deserves to have a voice and we are proud that you're even considering taking the step to unionize. Remember that this union stands behind you and are inspired by your actions. And I've been an active member in my union for the past 10 years and understand that taking a vote on such an important decision can be difficult, especially in an economic culture where people are worried about their jobs. But I find comfort and conviction knowing that being a part of union has protected our workers and our rights, especially during these unprecedented times. We know the importance of collective bargaining and how it can bring us better wages, better benefits and better working conditions. Everyone deserves to have a voice and we are proud that you're considering taking these steps to unionize. Remember that the NFLPA stands with you. I stand with you and I'm inspired by your actions. Thank you for all you're doing during this pandemic to keep our economy afloat. You deserve better. If the BHM1 workers vote in favor of unionization, this would be the first recognized union of Amazon workers in the country.