Topline
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island on Monday voted against unionizing, Amazon Labor Union said, a month after the company’s labor movement won its first major victory when workers at another Staten Island warehouse voted in favor of unionizing.
A person holds “Vote Union Yes!” signs during a protest.
Key Facts
Workers voted 618 to 380 against unionizing with 62% of eligible workers turning out to cast ballots, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the election.
About 1,633 workers at the LDJ5 sorting center in Staten Island—across the street from the fulfillment center where Amazon workers voted in favor of unionization last month—were eligible to vote.
Amazon Labor Union said in a tweet that organizing would continue at the Staten Island facility “and beyond,” adding that the “fight has just begun.”
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel told Forbes in a statement the company was “glad” the team at LDJ5 “were able to have their voices heard,” adding that it looked forward to striving to “make every day better for our employees.”
Key Background
The vote marks a setback for Amazon Labor Union, founded by former and current Amazon workers who were calling for higher pay, longer breaks and better benefits for workers at the LDJ5 Staten Island facility. The group won its first major victory against Amazon—which has pushed back hard against efforts to unionize for years—when workers voted 2,654 to 2,131 to unionize at Amazon’s largest warehouse in Staten Island called JFK8. The LDJ5 warehouse had significantly fewer workers eligible to vote in last week’s election, compared to the 8,300 workers at the JFK8 facility. Amazon continued efforts to dissuade workers in the lead up to the vote starting on April 25, holding mandatory meetings to try to discourage workers from voting in favor of unionization and putting up anti-union posters, according to the Associated Press. It has also pushed back on Amazon Labor Union’s first win in Staten Island, filing an objection to the vote with the NLRB claiming union organizers forced workers to vote yes and asking for a redo.
What To Watch For
Official results from another union election at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala. The do-over vote took place in March, with an initial count showing 53% of eligible workers voting against unionization, though hundreds of challenged ballots have yet to be resolved and both Amazon and labor organizers have filed objections.
Further Reading
Amazon Union Loses Vote at Second Staten Island Warehouse (New York Times)
Amazon Workers In Staten Island Vote To Unionize In Blow To Retail Giant (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/05/02/amazon-workers-reject-union-bid-at-second-ny-facility/