Amazon NYC Workers Organize Union

Amazon workers in Staten Island are planning to file a union election.

The Amazon Labor Union is seeking to create an independent union of The online retail giant’s workers has raised over $20,000 through a GoFundMe page to support organizing efforts from the workers for the past year. 

The Seattle-based retailer’s Staten Island warehouse opened in 2018 and has been the spotlight of workers and unions.

Led by a former fulfillment center employee of the e-commerce giant, Chris Smalls. He became the face of the labor movement at Amazon when he was fired over fears of a coronavirus outbreak at the beginning of the pandemic after organizing a demonstration over working conditions amid the health crisis.

Smalls gathered workers to sign union authorization cards and received over 2000 signatures from four different warehouses. The group needed 30% of votes to be eligible for a National Labor Relations Board election. The members have compiled a list of demands, that includes higher wages, safer working conditions, longer breaks, and improved benefits, such as enhanced medical leave options and additional paid time off. 

“Every day we empower people to find ways to improve their jobs, and when they do that we want to make those changes quickly. That type of continuous improvement is harder to do quickly and nimbly with unions in the middle, “ an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Amazon will provide educational information to employees so that they understand the facts of joining a union and the election process itself.

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