Christian Smalls, organizer of the Amazon Labor Union, speaking in New York City on April 1. Photo: Andrea Renault/AFP via Getty Images
Union representation petitions filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have surged by 57% in the last sixth months, the agency said Wednesday.
Why it matters: The increase suggests that workers are increasingly seeking to organize as unionization efforts against large corporations, like Amazon and Starbucks, have seen success.
By the numbers: The NLRB said it has so far received 1,174 petitions in the first half of the 2022 fiscal year, up from 748 in 2021's first half.
- The number of unfair labor practice charges it has received jumped by 14% — from 7,255 to 8,254.
What they're saying: "Right now, there is a surge in labor activity nationwide, with workers organizing and filing petitions for more union elections than they have in the last ten years," NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in a statement.
- Abruzzo said the agency's increased caseload is stressing its budget and called on Congress to allocate more money for staff and resources.
The big picture: President Biden praised a victory by Amazon workers at a Staten Island warehouse at a conference Wednesday and warned the company by name, saying, "Amazon, here we come."
- The workers last week voted 2,654 in favor of unionization vs. 2,131 opposed, establishing Amazon Labor Union — the first union in the company's history.
- Starbucks workers at several of the chain's locations have voted to unionize over the past several months.
Go deeper: Amazon workers' union victory is turbocharging a new labor movement