Chris Smalls didn't rely on traditional labor groups for funding or organizing power. Instead he raised money through GoFundMe and talked to former coworkers at their bus stop and over S'mores.
Warehouse workers at an Amazon fulfillment center on Staten Island have voted to join the upstart Amazon Labor Union, making it the first Amazon facility in the U.S. to unionize.
The no votes edged out the yes votes in the do-over election in Bessemer, Alabama, but more than 400 challenged ballots remain. A hearing will determine whether those ballots will be counted.
Amazon will face two union elections at once. Federal officials have set a union vote for Amazon workers at a Staten Island warehouse, coinciding with the ongoing re-do election in Bessemer, Ala.
Last year, Alabama workers voted against forming the first unionized Amazon warehouse in the U.S. Then, federal labor officials said Amazon unfairly influenced that election. Now, a re-vote begins.
Amazon is increasing the U.S. subscription cost to $139 a year from $119, citing more customer benefits and higher employee wages and transportation costs.
Strikes and organizing efforts at high-profile companies have generated new enthusiasm for organized labor. But numbers tell a different story. Union membership is tied for the lowest level on record.
Federal labor officials found enough support among Amazon workers on Staten Island to pave the way for a union election. It could be the second union vote for Amazon this year.
The mailbox was a key reason why labor officials ruled to re-do a union election at Amazon's Alabama warehouse. For the re-vote, the mailbox got moved. The union wants it gone.
Under pressure to improve worker rights, Amazon has reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board to allow its employees to freely organize — and without retaliation.
