Amazon workers in NYC file petition to hold union election

Workers astatine a New York City Amazon warehouse took the archetypal measurement toward forming a labour national connected Monday.

According to ABC News and NPR, organizers who enactment astatine an Amazon warehouse connected Staten Island filed a petition for a national predetermination with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

NPR reports that organizers were capable to garner the 2,000 worker signatures needed to record for an election. The NLRB and officials wrong its Region 29 part volition present spell done the ceremonial practice process earlier a ballot is held, according to ABC News.

Should the group, which calls itself the Amazon Labor Union, beryllium palmy successful its ballot to signifier a union, it would people the archetypal clip Amazon warehouse employees person successfully unionized crossed the country. However, the workers look an uphill battle.

Amazon has successfully fought disconnected respective different unionization attempts, astir notably astatine an Alabama warehouse earlier this year. In April, employees astatine the Bessemer, Alabama, warehouses voted 1,798 to 738 against unionization.

However, an NLRB authoritative successful August recommended that a caller ballot instrumentality spot aft determining that Amazon violated labour laws during the voting process. Workers astatine the Alabama warehouse are inactive awaiting an authoritative ruling from the NLRB arsenic to whether they tin clasp different vote.

Unlike the Alabama unionization push, which was led by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, the Staten Island propulsion is an autarkic effort.

"We're wholly independent, worker-led done and through, grassroots," organizer Chris Smalls told ABC News. "We're conscionable trying to navigate our mode — we deliberation we cognize the ins-and-outs of the institution amended than a 3rd enactment oregon an established union."

Amazon told ABC News that they were skeptical that the workers had obtained capable signatures to unit an election. A spokesperson added that should an predetermination beryllium held, "we privation the dependable of our employees to beryllium heard and look guardant to it. Our absorption remains connected listening straight to our employees and continuously improving connected their behalf."

Amazon — which has go 1 of America's largest employers successful caller years — has agelong faced accusations of mistreating warehouse workers. Former employees person claimed the institution forces laborers to enactment grueling hours with fewer breaks to remainder oregon usage the bathroom, claims Amazon denies.