Amazon workers in U.S. vote to unionise

Employees of the U.S. online retail giant Amazon voted on April 1 to unionise a fulfillment center in New York City, marking the first U.S.-based labour union in the company’s history. The workers at the warehouse on Staten Island voted 55 per cent in favour of forming the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), according to a count by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Previous attempts to unionize employees had been thwarted despite efforts by labor activists who campaigned against dangerous working conditions at Amazon warehouses.

Historic moment

Federal officials said that the count would only be verified once objections from each side were processed. But the vote represents a victory for the independent unionising group that faced the second-biggest private employer in the U.S. without the backing of any larger union.

The ALU celebrated the vote win on social media, calling themselves the “first Amazon union in U.S. history!” “We’re disappointed with the outcome of the election in Staten Island because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees,” Amazon said following the result. A similar attempt at another Amazon warehouse last year resulted in workers’ siding with the company at a two-to-one ratio.

Vote met with celebration

The efforts to unionise the Staten Island site were led by union organizer and former Amazon employee Christian Smalls. He was greeted by cheers and the popping of champagne as he and other officials left the NLRB offices after the count came in. “I’m excited that we’re making history,” Amazon employee Tristan Dutchin told The Associated Press. “We’re about to unionise a multibillion-, trillion-dollar company. This will be a fantastic time for workers to be surrounded in a better, safer working environment.”

The Biden administration also expressed support for the move with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying that “the president was glad to see workers ensure their voices are heard with respect to important workplace decisions.” President Joe Biden “believes firmly that every worker in every state must have a free and fair choice to join a union and the right to bargain collectively with their employer,” she added.

David Cornfield, a labour expert and sociology professor at Vanderbilt University, told Reuters that the successful vote is a “momentous victory for working people who are doing homegrown union organising.” He said the victory in New York would encourage others seeking to unionise workplaces across the U.S. “There’s already a wave [of activism] occurring,” he said, “and this will encourage more of that.”

ab/nm (Reuters, AP)