Politics or Policy? Explaining Marco Rubio’s Pro-Union Push

One Amazon fulfillment center’s push to unionize in Bessemer, Alabama, is attracting the attention of members of the top echelon of American politics. Today, plant employee Jennifer Bates will testify before the Senate Budget Committee at the invitation of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The workers at the Alabama plant are getting endorsements from President Joe Biden and even Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. However, the political motivations are different on each side of the aisle. A Democratic president supporting unionization is hardly a surprise, but, at face value, a GOP endorsement of the measure is. Until you realize that Rubio’s incentives are more politically based than policy-oriented.

But first, what’s actually happening in Bessemer?

With the fulfillment center employing more than 5,800 people, this is the biggest push for a union Amazon has seen from a group of employees. Voting opened in early February and will close on March 29.

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