Local Unions Call For Amazon To Hire Local For North Andover Site

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Local building trades unions launched a campaign for Amazon to sign a "responsible employer agreement" for the company's planned North Andover facility.

North Andover town meeting voters have approved multiple the planned Osgood Landing distribution facility project, including okaying a $27 million tax deal at June's meeting, but the project itself remains in early stages.

Bidding is underway for the project's general contractor, and the local trade unions want a say.

Chris Brennan, president of the Merrimack Valley Building Trades, said that his unions want to work with Amazon.

"Amazon's coming to North Andover for the largest project in the history of the town," Brennan said. "They need to be held to account on not only how they're going to be performing the job, but how they're going to be dealing with workers inside once they're done."

The Merrimack Valley Building Trades council includes a half-dozen local unions, including laborers, electricians and painters.

Brennan cited reporting that Amazon fulfillment centers had 14,000 serious injuries in 2019, nearly double the industry standard. Amazon has had nearly 20,000 coronavirus cases in its facilities.

Among the unions' demands are that the company pick a local general contractor and ensure that the workers building the distribution center get benefits and are not misclassified as subcontractors.

The unions have not heard anything from the company, Brennan said.

"It looks like it's going to happen," Brennan said. "We just hope that the people of North Andover and the Merrimack Valley demand what they deserve."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.