CANADA

Judge rejects request for injunction to pause new federal firearms prohibitions

OTTAWA — A judge has rejected a request from firearms owners to suspend a sweeping ban on many gun models while their full arguments against the prohibitions are considered by the court.

In her ruling, Federal Court Associate Chief Justice Jocelyne Gagné says the applicants failed to put forward clear and non-speculative evidence that they would suffer irreparable harm if the ban remains in effect pending a final ruling on the case.

The federal government outlawed a wide range of firearms by cabinet order in May, saying the guns were designed for the battlefield, not hunting or sport shooting.

The ban covers some 1,500 models and variants of what the government considers assault-style weapons, meaning they can no longer be legally used, sold or imported.

The measure has met with stiff criticism from some firearms owners and the federal Conservatives, who question the value of the ban.

Gagné dismissed several arguments from the owners seeking an injunction, including the notion of irreparable harm from not being able to use specific firearms for hunting or shooting.

She said Canadians wishing to engage in these activities can choose from a large range of non-restricted firearms that may reasonably be used for these purposes.

Gagné also rejected arguments about the loss of gun culture, saying it was not clear how the regulations affected such a culture.

Fuller arguments on the constitutionality of the regulations are expected to take place over the next several months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2021.

The Canadian Press

HOW COLD IS IT? IT IS SO COLD THAT

Crack in LRT rail line due to extreme cold causing delays on Edmonton transit

Extreme cold temperatures have caused a (SECOND) crack in the city’s LRT rail line, causing delays on the transit system.

© Provided by Edmonton Journal Back in January 2020, transit employees manually operated the rail crossing arms on 111 Street just south of 51 Avenue as a result of a rail fracture. Another crack near the same intersection was identified Monday evening as a result of the extreme cold and is causing delays on the transit system.

A cracked rail as a result of the deep freeze was discovered in the area of 51 Avenue Monday night, resulting in service delays of about 10 minutes at Southgate and Century Park Stations throughout Tuesday.

Trains are currently running on a single track through the affected area, meaning trains have to stop and wait for those heading in the opposite direction to pass. Metro Line trains are turning back at the South Campus Station and not travelling through to Southgate or Century Park Stations.

Repair crews will be braving the bitter cold at 7 p.m. to work on fixing the track, Trevor Dennehy, the city’s general supervisor of transit facilities maintenance, said in a Tuesday statement.

Crews will be working all night with the goal of having regular service back up and running for the Wednesday morning commute. Edmonton is under an extreme cold warning and temperatures are expected to drop to -29 C overnight with a windchill of -40 C.

“Our crews will be working all night with the goal of having regular service restored for Edmontonians by tomorrow morning. We greatly appreciate all of our staff who go above and beyond to make repairs in such bitterly cold temperatures,” Dennehy said.

This is the second straight winter that a LRT rail line has fractured as a result of the extreme cold weather. A crack was found near the same intersection last January but on a different part of the rail. Another one caused delays near 34 Avenue. At the time, Dennehy said the two cracks were the first issues with the city’s LRT rails in 10 years.

BC INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE EXTINCT

Conklin linguist one of the last fluent speakers of endangered Nuxalk language

Hank Nater remembers when someone could walk the streets of Bella Coola, B.C. and hear people speaking Nuxalk, the language of the Indigenous Nuxalk people.

It was 1972 when Nater first travelled to Bella Coola as a linguistics student with the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. His professor tasked him with recording and studying the language, which was considered endangered.

Nater, who lives in Conklin, quickly became one of the few remaining people alive fluent in the language. When he returned to Bella Coola in 2017 to work on a book about the language, he could not hear Nuxalk in the streets. There are only three fluent Nuxalk speakers left in the community, all of them elders in their 70s and 80s.

“As a functioning language, it’s actually extinct,” said Nater. “It’s still being taught in local schools and we still have the old recordings, so the language is as preserved as it can be.”

Nater has maintained relationships with community leaders in Bella Coola. In the past, Nater has worked with the community to develop a curriculum for teaching Nuxalk. This includies developing an alphabet because it is an oral language. Any cultural knowledge was recorded in icons or totems.

Nater’s book summarizes his knowledge of the Nuxalk language and will be released in the next few months. In 65 pages, it includes details on phonetics, grammar and a Nuxalk-English dictionary.

As a linguist, Nater said preserving the language is important, even if it is on the verge of extinction. How the language sounded, and how it was influenced by the land and culture helps future generations understand their ancestors.

“I feel fortunate to have learned the language to such an extent where they need some of my help,” said Nater. “But it’s the result of things that have been done in collaboration with many other people.”

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), three-quarters of Indigenous languages in Canada are “definitely,” “severely” or “critically” endangered.

The most recent data on languages spoken in Canada comes from the 2016 census, which found only 20 per cent of First Nations people could converse in an Indigenous language. This is a six per cent drop from 2006.

“If we continue down the current path, First Nations languages, like many Indigenous languages around the world, may be lost,” states a 2019 report from the Assembly of First Nations. “It is essential that drastic actions are taken to offset the erosion and loss of First Nations languages.”

Nater says much of Western and European societies take their languages’ history for granted. It’s easy to pick up Shakespeare to see how English has evolved, he said. But, this is not the case for many Indigenous languages which were erased through smallpox and the residential school system.

For anyone hoping to learn Nuxalk, Nater said they would have their work cut out for them. The phonetics of the language can be difficult for most people to grasp. Some sentences consist of one long word.

“If you think you can handle it, I would say go right ahead,” said Nater. “There are many different levels of looking at a language but as long as you have the motivation, go for it.”

swilliscraft@postmedia.com

Sarah Williscraft, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Fort McMurray Today

 

New treatment process will reduce phosphorous load

The city of Winnipeg has an interim plan to remove phosphorus from sewage going to Lake Winnipeg. The plan has garnered some New applause from lake stakeholders but they aren't pleased with the timelines.

BC Health authority CEO steps down after report released into alleged misspending

Provincial Health Services Authority CEO Benoit Morin has "left the organization" on the same day a report was shared into alleged misspending by the health authority under his watch.

© Sarah Leavitt/CBC Former PHSA CEO Benoit Morin was

 accused by whistleblowers of writing off roughly $7 million 

in unusable masks from a Montreal-based vendor.

The independent report, commissioned for and shared by B.C.'s Ministry of Health, comes after CBC News brought forward concerns raised by multiple sources, who claimed PHSA had purchased, and eventually written off, roughly $7 million dollars worth of face masks from a Montreal-based vendor.

The whistleblowers also criticized a decision to re-do $17 million worth of renovations at PHSA headquarters, for an added cost of $400,000, in order to supposedly to give Morin a better view of downtown Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains. They also accused 18 PHSA executives and their assistants of enjoying catered meals in the early days of the pandemic.

In its review of the alleged misspending, Ernst & Young found "no evidence of any pre-existing relationship" between Morin and the Montreal-based mask vendor, but did observe a disconnect between the CEO, the board of directors and PHSA staff regarding "the appropriate course of action to pursue" when it came to recourse.

Specifically, the review found PHSA staff wanted "to start legal action" after it was determined the masks did not meet B.C.'s PPE testing protocols, but that Morin and the board disagreed, preferring to negotiate. When that failed, the report says, other PSHA executives pursued legal action without informing the board nor Morin.

Ernst & Young also reports that the Montreal-based vendor filed for bankruptcy in January 2021 and that "the likelihood of any significant recovery" is low.

Staff dismissed, at least in part, over 'lack of loyalty'

The report also states that several staff departures, including PHSA's chief internal auditor were tied, at least in part, to "a perceived lack of loyalty to, and/or friction with" Morin.

According to Ernst & Young, Morin sought to have the auditor terminated for their role in "examining the conflict of interest allegation" against him. The board of directors eventually did fire the employee, citing their "handling of the conflict of interest allegation" as well as their perceived "capacity to continue with the organization."

As Trump trial opens, evidence mounts Capitol attack was planned

On December 19, Beverly Hills salon owner Gina Bisignano read a tweet from president Donald Trump: "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!"

© Brendan SMIALOWSKI Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol hoping to reverse his loss in the presidential election

 Democrats allege Donald Trump encouraged the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol in an address to supporters just before it took place

"We'll be there," replied Bisignano, one of tens of millions who saw the summons to Washington to battle Trump's election defeat.

Meanwhile Ethan Nordean in Washington state and Enrique Tarrio in Florida were online making their January 6 plans as leaders of the extreme-right Proud Boys.

Nordean, according to a court filing, on December 27 appealed to followers for funds to buy protective gear and communications equipment.

A week later he and Tarrio told followers in a podcast to wear black, and said they would have to be prepared to fight.

"We are looked at almost like soldiers of the right wing," said Tarrio. "This stuff is real. We are in a war."

In the ranks of the extremist Proud Boys or Oath Keepers, among QAnon conspiracists and hardcore fans of the Republican president, the message was clear weeks ahead: Trump wants you to head to Washington to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election win on January 6.

© ALEX EDELMAN

Supporters of US president Donald Trump protest outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021

As Trump stands trial in the US Senate for incitement of insurrection, increasing evidence in court filings shows the attack on the US Capitol was premeditated.

- 'Set to boil' -

After Trump's tweet many fans announced plans to travel to Washington, some simply for a final pro-Trump rally.

But others spoke of halting the certification itself and inflicting pain on "traitors" in Congress.

They prepared for it. Dozens brought combat helmets, stun guns, body armor, communications equipment, and bear and pepper spray. A handful had firearms.

The night before, someone planted pipe bombs at two different locations near to the Capitol. The bombs never went off, and may have simply sought to draw police away from the Capitol as the assault began.

The alleged leaders of the attack, those appearing most organized, according to court filings, were the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

In late December in Berryville, Virginia, some 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Washington, Thomas Caldwell was allegedly organizing for serious violence.

Described as a "commander" of the Oath Keepers, a violent far-right group of mostly ex-military and police, Caldwell planned to meet just outside Washington with members of armed militia from around the region.

"Let them try to certify some crud on capitol hill with a million or more patriots in the streets. This kettle is set to boil," he said on Facebook.

"They have morphed into pure evil even blatantly rigging an election and paying off the political caste. We must smite them now and drive them down," he added.

- Storm the Capitol -

In Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, QAnon and Proud Boy follower Kenneth Grayson, 51, was likewise preparing.

On December 23, court filings show, he texted to family and friends: "I'm there if Trump tells us to storm the fucking Capitol ... they are not going to steal this election."

In Georgia attorney William Calhoun was angry about Biden's alleged steal of the election. After the election he had already been reported to the FBI for calling for an armed attack on Washington.

On December 29 he posted: "Being physically present in Washington on January 6 is of key importance. We the people have no other realistic option to communicate our unwavering intent to demand fair elections now and forever -- or else."

A week later he announced he was on his way to Washington "to let them know this is their last chance to Stop The Steal -- or they are going to have bigger problems."

- 'The steal is stopped' -

The morning of January 6, Ronnie Sandlin of Memphis Tennessee and Nathan Degrave of Las Vegas, Nevada, made a video of their plans.

"I think it is time to take the Capitol and I don't say that lightly," said Sandlin.

"If we need to occupy the Capitol, we will occupy the Capitol....one o'clock is when it is all going to go down."

After the attack, participants declared success, having done what they planned to do.

"Today the American People proved that we have the power," Calhoun posted.

"We occupied the Capitol and shut down the Government -- we shut down their stolen election shenanigans."

Proud Boys Nicholas Ochs of Hawaii and Nicholas DeCarlo of Texas streamed a video from the scene.

"We came here to stop the steal," said Ochs.

"That's what I came down here to do. We fucking did it," said DeCarlo.

"It may resume, but the steal is for now stopped. You're welcome, America!" Ochs replied.

pmh/ec

New Zealand Maori leader ejected from parliament for not wearing a necktie
COLONIALIST RACIST TRADITION

By Praveen Menon

© Reuters/Mario Anzuoni FILE PHOTO: Ties are pictured at a Men's Wearhouse store in Pasadena, California

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand Maori leader who was ejected from parliament this week for refusing to wear a necktie in the chamber said forcing him to a Western dress code was a breach of his rights and an attempt to suppress indigenous culture.

On Tuesday, Speaker Trevor Mallard twice prevented Rawiri Waititi from asking questions in the debating chamber, insisting that MPs could only ask a question if they were wearing a tie.

When Waititi continued with his question after being stopped a second time, Mallard ordered him to leave.

"It's not about ties, it's about cultural identity, mate," Waititi said as he exited the chamber.

Waititi, who has called ties "a colonial noose," was told last year that he would be ejected from the House if he did not wear one. On Tuesday he wore a taonga, a Maori greenstone pendant, instead

Video: New Zealand MP asked to leave the parliamentary chambers for not wearing a tie (The Washington Post)

Mallard said on Tuesday that while ties were outdated in his view, an overwhelming majority of members asked that the rule be retained in consultations on the issue in the last few months.

Writing in the New Zealand Herald on Wednesday, Waititi said his action was not about ties, but about the right of Māori to be Māori, whether in Parliament or in the pub.

"I took off the colonial tie as a sign that it continued to colonise, to choke and to suppress out Māori rights that Mallard suggests gives us all equality," Waititi said.

"This is about more than just the tie or the taonga, this has everything to do with equality."

Asked to comment, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that it was not something she had a strong opinion on, and that she had no objection to someone wearing a tie in parliament or not. SINCE SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO

"There are much more important issues for all of us," Ardern said.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Sonya He

The wealthy in Brazil cause controversy as they try to buy quick access to vaccine

SAO PAULO — Brazilian marketing executive Eduardo Menga is extra cautious when it comes to his health. During the pandemic, he consulted a slew of doctors to ensure he was in good shape and uprooted his family from Rio de Janeiro to a quiet city in the countryside where he works remotely. His wife Bianca Rinaldi, an actress, hasn’t worked since March.

© Provided by NBC News

Menga and Rinaldi are among a minority of Brazilians who will pay for a COVID-19 vaccine if an association of private clinics can close a deal to bring 5 million shots to Latin America’s most unequal country. President Jair Bolsonaro, under fire for his government’s handling of the pandemic, has promised not to interfere.

“When I go to a restaurant and I pay for my own food, I’m not taking anyone else’s food,” the 68-year-old Menga said from his home in Jundiai in Sao Paulo state. “I don’t think getting a vaccine from a private clinic will take it from someone else waiting in the public system. It could be an alternative line, and those who have the chance should take it.”

Amid the government’s stumbling vaccine rollout, many moneyed Brazilians want to find a swift path to vaccination, sparking backlash from some public health experts and igniting debate on social media, editorial pages and talk shows.

There has been concern globally that the privileged could game the system to get themselves vaccinated before others. When the connected have been caught leapfrogging ahead, in countries like Turkey, Morocco and Spain, they have faced criticism, investigations or forced resignations.

Brazil has had its reports of line-jumpers, too, but the nation stands apart because maneuvering isn’t only done in the shadows. Some is out in the open, with the prosperous coordinating efforts that the government endorses, according to Roberto DaMatta, an emeritus anthropology professor at the University of Notre Dame.

“The pandemic makes Brazil’s inequality more obvious, because the virus doesn’t choose social class, but the cure just might,” said DaMatta, who authored the book “Do You Know With Whom You’re Speaking?” a portrait of Brazilian privilege. It was inspired by episodes during the pandemic, including a judge who refused a policeman’s order to don a mask, then called the state’s security chief to protest and ripped up his 100 reais ($20) fine.

“Brazil’s wealthy normalized slavery for ages. Now, they accept that more poor and Black people die of COVID, and put little pressure on a government that has sabotaged the rollout. Taking the vaccine in this scenario might depend on organization, so the well-off are organizing,” DaMatta told The Associated Press.

Business leaders and some authorities defend attempts to secure a vaccine as boosting Brazil’s economic reboot. And anyway, they argue, why shouldn’t the well-heeled buy vaccines if government efforts are falling short? So far, Brazil has 13.9 million shots available for a population of 210 million people, and has given the first of two shots to just 1% of citizens since immunizations began Jan. 18.

Health experts, for their part, view such efforts as unethical given vaccines are scarce globally and at-risk groups are in more immediate need to avoid death; already nearly 230,000 Brazilians have died from COVID-19, the second-highest tally in the world.

And while people over 65 like Menga are near the top of the list, Brazil’s slow rollout, which could take up to 16 months, means it could be a long time before he gets a shot, and even longer for his wife, who is 46.

Debate over unfair vaccine distribution in Brazil first flared after Supreme Court employees reportedly maneuvered to set aside some 7,000 COVID-19 vaccines for themselves and their families; the government laboratory that will make and distribute AstraZeneca shots declined, saying it cannot reserve shots. Sao Paulo state prosecutors also lobbied for inclusion in priority groups, alongside health professionals.

After those efforts floundered, Brazil’s private health clinics stepped in to try to bypass government procurement plans. Executives from Brazil’s association of private clinics negotiated directly with Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech for its COVAXIN shot. The association of about 30,000 private clinics is registering would-be clients on a waiting list.

Brazil has no deals with Bharat and its health regulator has yet to approve COVAXIN, but in a sign of what the future may hold if the deal does go through, Rio Grande do Sul state’s association of judges asked its members last month if they were interested in buying shots from the clinics association.

Gonzalo Vecina, who headed Brazil’s health agency between 1999 and 2003, says such private-sector efforts pose a major problem, not only on ethical and legal grounds, but also to public health.

“The private network doesn’t have to follow the Health Ministry’s priority protocol. So, if this goes ahead we will have a line for people who have $200, where you can get a shot next week, and another that won’t move for months,” Vecina said.

“What everyone needs to understand is that the pandemic doesn’t end if it doesn’t end for everyone.”

Most of the planet is relying on public health care networks to administer vaccines, and few countries with large populations are using private channels for distribution. A notable exception is the U.S., where Americans can get their shots at pharmacies, clinics and other private institutions. Hospitals in at least eight U.S. states have been accused of favoring board members, trustees, relatives and donors who should have waited their turn.

On Jan. 26, Bolsonaro said he had signed a letter to bolster a bid from a group of Brazilian executives to score 33 million doses of the AstraZeneca shot, with half for them to use as they like and half donated to the country’s public health system.

Brazilian media reported at least 11 companies were in the group, including state-run oil company Petrobras, steelmaker Gerdau and phone carrier Oi, all of which declined to comment.

“That would help the economy a lot, and also those who might want to get vaccinated,” Bolsonaro said of the companies’ effort. Economy Minister Paulo Guedes labeled the effort “evidently very good.”

By contrast, a council of business leaders in neighboring Colombia hit a roadblock when it sought permission to purchase COVID-19 shots. Colombia’s health minister said the possibility would only be considered in the second phase of immunization, after all health professionals and people over 60 years old have received their shots.

Bolsonaro’s support notwithstanding, AstraZeneca declined the Brazilian executives’ effort, saying in a statement that it wouldn’t supply Brazil’s private sector, at least for now. Sao Paulo’s industry federation released a statement two days later denying such negotiations ever were pursued.

A former governor of Brazil’s central bank, Armínio Fraga, said he opposes the moves by wealthier Brazilians and fears vaccine prices could surge if companies are allowed to bid for them.

“We are living in a moment of global scarcity,” Fraga, a partner at investment firm Gavea Investimentos, said in an online interview to newspaper Valor. “We need some coordination so that priority groups are respected.”

RIGHT WING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
Investments in nuclear energy could help solve the economic and climate crises

As the United States faces several key challenges simultaneously - COVID-19, the economic crisis, social injustice and the rising threat of climate change - the federal government is looking for solutions that help address multiple issues at once. Recent commitments by President Biden are encouraging: by tying the post-pandemic economic recovery to investments in clean energy, we can tackle all four existential crises at the same time.

© Getty Images

 Investments in nuclear energy could help solve the economic and climate crises

During his campaign, Biden ran on a sweeping clean energy plan, pledging to achieve a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035 with net zero emissions economy-wide by 2050 as part of his "all of government" plan for climate. The president's proposed tech-neutral approach opens the door for an inclusive plan to combat climate change, which includes nuclear power - the nation's largest carbon-free source of energy. This marks the first time nuclear power has been a part of the Democratic platform since 1972.

Additionally, we have seen increasing bipartisan congressional support for nuclear energy over the last decade. The new administration can build on this strong foundation by accelerating its investment in advanced nuclear energy to create new opportunities in the clean power sector and take meaningful steps towards cost-effective decarbonization. The nuclear industry can be ready to accomplish this with advanced technologies and a commitment to align with the equity-centered approach of the new administration.

The Department of Energy (DOE) leaves the new administration well-positioned to deliver on the Biden administration's appropriately ambitious decarbonization goals by continuing to invest in the bright future of nuclear energy. DOE recently launched the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) to support the demonstration of advanced reactors and pioneer best practices for community engagement with new nuclear technology. That's because DOE has already recognized the promise of advanced reactors, acknowledging they can help lower carbon emissions and create new clean energy jobs.

Last October, the DOE approved a multiyear cost-share award to Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) to develop and construct the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), a 720-megawatt small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) located at the Idaho National Laboratory. This crucial award will help ensure that the CFPP is fully operational by 2030 and competitive with other baseload energy sources like combined-cycle natural gas plants, but with zero greenhouse gas emissions. And in December, DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) awarded two U.S.-based companies - TerraPower and X-energy - with $160 million in initial funding to build first-of-their-kind reactors, expected to be fully operational within seven years. This is progress the Biden administration can build on by continuing to invest in the next generation of nuclear energy.

A CHEAP FOSSIL FUEL ALTERNATIVE TO COAL
Video: Gas has to take priority in transition to green energy: OMV CEO (CNBC)

The ambitious timelines for the DOE's projects mean advanced nuclear energy can play a meaningful role in enabling communities to reach their climate goals, potentially directly replacing fossil plants and partnering with renewable energy and battery technologies. In the long-run, the investment in advanced nuclear technologies will also help provide local, high-paying jobs for the communities where they will operate as well as jobs in the emerging supply chains. And for communities facing coal plant closures - like in Michigan, Ohio, Nevada and North Carolina - advanced nuclear will be the most effective option to provide always-on, carbon-free energy to replace the baseload of fossil fuels, something that wind and solar power are not able to do quite yet.

But investing in the next generation of nuclear is about more than keeping the lights on. The Biden administration's strong commitment to fostering electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the U.S. requires a similarly strong commitment to ensuring nuclear power remains a big part of the equation for how to provide what will be an increasingly large amount of baseload power to the electric grid. EVs aren't very clean if they don't run on clean energy.

To help realize our clean energy future, the federal government must continue to give the clean energy community the investment it needs to succeed. With the possibility of a budget reconciliation process being discussed in Congress, it is vital that policymakers and legislators recognize the momentum the nuclear technology industry has right now and how vital it is to keep that going. Paired with its comprehensive plan to reach net zero emissions as rapidly as possible, the Biden administration can build a stronger, more resilient economy powered by clean, carbon-free energy sources. The nuclear energy sector is ready to help.

Todd Allen is the chair for Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan and executive director of Fastest Path to Zero, an initiative that supports communities as they plan for and pursue full decarbonization.

Suzy Hobbs Baker is the creative director of Fastest Path to Zero and co-founder of the Good Energy Collective, which seeks to make the progressive case for advanced nuclear as part of the climate change agenda.

Amazon's own investors are reportedly telling the company to stop pressuring warehouse workers who have begun to vote on forming the firm's first union

© Provided by Business Insider Amazon has faced criticism over its extensive surveillance of workers and its poor safety record. 

Patrick Fallon/Getty Images

Amazon investors are telling the firm to stop interfering in a unionization vote, the FT reported.

Alabama warehouse workers are currently voting on whether to form the firm's first-ever union.

Amazon reportedly posted anti-union messaging in the bathrooms of the Alabama warehouse.

A group of more than 70 Amazon investors is telling the company to stop interfering with a unionization vote in Alabama, according to a report from the Financial Times.

Nearly 6,000 workers at an Alabama warehouse are voting on whether to form a union, the first in the history of Amazon, which has long been staunchly opposed to its employees unionizing. The workers were due to receive their ballots on Monday as part of a mail-in election and have until March 29 to place their vote.

The investors calling for Amazon to cease pushing back on the unionization efforts collectively hold more than $20 billion worth of the company's shares, the FT notes. The group includes the comptrollers for the state of New York as well as New York City, BMO Global Asset Management, (CANADIAN) the Church of England Pensions Board, and Sweden-based Folksam and Ohman Fonder, per the report.

In a letter, the investors reportedly pointed to Amazon's stated "human rights principles," which include statements on respecting workers' rights to join and form or not to join a labor union "without fear of reprisal, intimidation, or harassment."

"As these workers seek to organize with [the union] for health, safety, and protection, Amazon's investors are watching," New York City comptroller Scott Stringer said, according to the FT. "There is power in their unity and power in labour, and they have my full support as they fight for a safe, fair workplace."

Amazon did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Amazon has a history of working against employee efforts to form a union. Last week, the Washington Post reported that Amazon had posted anti-union messaging in the bathrooms of its Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse, the facility whose employees have begun voting on unionizing.

"Where will your dues go," a sign read on the back of a stall door according to The Post, referring to union fees.

DUES ARE THE BEST TAX CREDIT A WORKER CAN GET

THEY ARE 100% DEDUCTABLE COME TAX TIME

Read more: More than 40% of surveyed Amazon employees say they wished they were in a union, a new Insider survey shows

The company listed before quickly removing a job opening in 2020 for an analyst that would monitor worker activities around organizing.

Amazon has also used a tool to monitor dozens of private and public social media groups to find drivers that were organizing protests or strikes, per a Motherboard report from September. And in November, reports surfaced that Amazon had hired detectives with the infamous Pinkerton spy agency to monitor European workers' labor union organizing efforts.