Oct 25, 2021 - Economy

Amazon warehouse workers in New York file petition to hold unionization vote

Shawna Chen

Photo of protesters holding up signs that say "Bezos' billions: stolen from workers" and "Amazon: recognize the union now!" in an outdoor rally — Amazon workers and their supporters rally outside the National Labor Relations Board's regional office in Brooklyn, New York City, after filing a petition requesting an election to form a union. Photo: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Amazon warehouse workers in New York City filed a petition on Monday with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a vote on unionization.

Why it matters: The move comes six months after an organizing effort was defeated at Amazon's distribution center in Alabama.

Details: 30% of the workers at Amazon's four Staten Island facilities, which employ roughly 7,000 people, must submit authorization cards for the NLRB to approve the unionization vote.

The New York City unionization group, called the Amazon Labor Union, has collected over 2,000 cards, leader Chris Smalls told the Washington Post.
The workers are pushing for pay raises, more paid time off, longer breaks, the ability to cancel shifts in hazardous weather conditions, less mandatory overtime and the right to employee advocacy.

The big picture: Though the majority of workers voted not to unionize in the Alabama vote, the NLRB later said in a preliminary finding that Amazon may have illegally interfered in the mail-in election.

Amazon employees are also alleging that the company underpaid them while they were on leave.

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Amazon warehouse workers in New York file petition to hold unionization vote

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