Amazon workers in Staten Island, N.Y., astonished the world last week when they voted to form the first-ever U.S. union at the e‑commerce behemoth, which is known for ferociously opposing its workers' efforts to organize. The Amazon Labor Union (ALU), which won the effort at the JFK8 fulfillment center, had been targeted by such anti-union efforts, and its co-founder, Chris Smalls, had been called "not smart or articulate" by Amazon officials. (Smalls co-founded the union after he was fired for organizing for safer conditions during the pandemic.)
Workers and organizers across the country are looking to this campaign for lessons on how to overcome such aggressive tactics from Amazon, which has long proved difficult to organize. As of Friday there were 2,654 votes at the JFK8 warehouse in favor of joining the union and 2,131 opposed (67 ballots have been challenged). With a separate union drive in Bessemer, Ala. too close to call, and unions across the country eyeing future unionization efforts, many labor advocates hope that the Staten Island victory will inspire other workers to take similar action.
