In a legal maneuver that could have wide-reaching implications for workers' rights and organizing efforts, Amazon has joined the likes of SpaceX and Trader Joe's in arguing that the 88-year-old National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is unconstitutional. The move follows allegations that Amazon unlawfully retaliated against workers at a New York City warehouse who voted to unionize nearly two years ago.

Amazon's legal filing, presented on Thursday in response to a complaint overseen by an administrative law judge, denies many of the charges and requests for the complaint to be dismissed. Furthermore, Amazon's attorneys contend that the structure of the NLRB infringes on executive powers stipulated in the Constitution, citing concerns about the limits on the removal of administrative law judges and board members appointed by the president.

The trend of challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB has stirred unease among legal experts. Seth Goldstein, an attorney representing the Amazon Labor Union and the labor group Trader Joe's United, described it as "very frightening."

Alongside Amazon, SpaceX and Trader Joe's have also been embroiled in legal disputes with the NLRB. SpaceX filed a lawsuit in early January, a day after the labor agency accused the company of unlawfully firing employees critical of Elon Musk. Similarly, in a January hearing over allegations of union activism retaliation, an attorney for Trader Joe's contended that the NLRB's structure is unconstitutional.

The intersection of these legal battles underscores the growing tensions between corporations and workers seeking to exercise their rights, setting the stage for potentially landmark legal decisions in the realm of labor relations.