Amazon Union Vote Is A Big Win For Labor Unions

Amazon Workers At JFK8, A Warehouse Located On Staten Island In New York City, Voted To Form A Union With 55% Of Voters In Favor Of Unionization, According To The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This Is The First Successful Major Union Drive For The Retail Sector In Several Decades And Lands A Wake-Up Call To Other Retailers That Want To Avoid A Unionized Worker Composition.

Union membership down

The number of U.S. workers in unions dropped 10.3% last year but the recent vote to unionize even one warehouse at a retail behemoth like Amazon is a big win for labor unions and may help raise the profile of organized unions as a path for better working conditions, benefits and wages. These promises were made to the employees of the Amazon warehouse by the newly established Amazon Labor Union, an independent union whose first win may be this warehouse unionization of the largest online retailer in America. Not a small feat.

Even though the successful unionization vote has been announced, there is a long process that will ensue before a contract is actually agreed upon. The vote is one small step for Amazon workers and one large step for organized unions.

Factors contributing to the win

The union drive was run in a more contemporary manner using social media including TikTok and Twitter, along with insider workers boosting union messaging. In more traditional union drives from established union organizations, the union representatives and professional organizers are not allowed on the premises to campaign, but in the case of the Amazon Labor Union which was founded and is run by a former Amazon employee, many campaigners worked in the warehouse during the union drive. Employees tend to listen to their co-workers and may feel that they are more empathetic, trusted and understanding of worker needs.

One disgruntled employee

Christian Smalls, a former Amazon employee who started the union and is currently the president, was fired by the company for helping to lead a walkout of workers in March of 2020 as a protest of unsafe working conditions during the pandemic. Some employees also felt that the productivity measurements and quotas were unfair and unrealistic. Scorned employee Smalls was able to take on one of the world’s largest retailers.

While Amazon has hired thousands of employees over the past two years and now employs more than 1.6 million people worldwide to try and keep up with continuing consumer demand amid a shift to online purchasing, it has been continually challenged for its treatment of workers. On one hand, Amazon has created policies and programs that support employee health and advancements, such as the average starting wage for front-line employees of more than $18 per hour, comprehensive benefits for full-time employees, Amazon’s Career Choice program, Make Every Day Better for Employees, FamilyFlex program and Project Juno.

On the other hand, the company has been consistently challenged by workers on employee health and safety procedures including working standards. In December Amazon was criticized for its handling of workers and contractors during a tornado that struck Edwardsville, IL, killing six of them. As a result, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform has opened an investigation into Amazon’s labor practices during severe weather events.

The more prominent labor union for the retail industry is the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which is currently involved in the Alabama Amazon warehouse union drive; according to early indicators, a vote favoring unionization is unlikely, but final results will not be known for several weeks.

Amazon grows sales and profits despite worker complaints

Amazon’s sales have grown from $281 billion pre-pandemic in 2019 to $470 billion for the fiscal year ending 2021. Profits have soared from $11.6 billion to $33.4 billion in the same period. And while there have been recent investments made in employees including increased benefits and wages across the U.S. markets, the act of leaving employee complaints unanswered or giving unsatisfactory solutions is opening more opportunities for unions, environmental groups and other professional organizers to gain support.

Major shortages in the job markets create a critical need for employers to look for ways to engage and build a culture that breeds employer of choice initiatives. Whether this successful unionization vote at one Staten Island warehouse becomes a single, fleeting event or the start of something big that could change the face of the labor market in the U.S. for the next few decades will be determined in the next few months. The future of employment laws and worker organization may be largely influenced by a dispute between one disgruntled but very determined worker and one very large corporation.