Explainer: Amazon's fight against U.S. union could continue even after landmark vote

FILE PHOTO: People protest in support of the unionizing efforts of the Alabama Amazon workers, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 22, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

(Reuters) - Officials with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are expected to begin counting ballots on Thursday in the closely watched union election at an Amazon.com Inc warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) is seeking to represent a bargaining unit of nearly 6,000 workers, which would be the first at an Amazon warehouse in the United States. But the election is only the beginning of what could be a prolonged legal dispute over the outcome of the vote.