Amazon, one of the United State’s largest employers and a mainstay of Americans’ shopping habits, has long resisted unionization efforts such as union drives in 2000 and 2014. In recent years, though, the calls for unionization have grown louder and more public — and an upstart union was even able to win an election at one of the company’s facilities in New York.
The recent string of elections started in Bessemer, Alabama, when the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union attempted to organize Amazon’s BHM1 facility, which had around 5,800 workers at the time. In 2021, the workers voted resoundingly against unionizing, but the union successfully petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a redo, claiming that Amazon had interfered by installing a mailbox at its own facility. The second election saw lower turnout, but much closer results, though the large number of contested ballots left the results hanging in the balance.
Elsewhere, the Amazon Labor Union, an organization made up of former and current Amazon workers that’s not affiliated with a larger union, has made attempts to organize multiple warehouses in Staten Island, New York. It ended up securing union votes at two facilities: JFK8, and LDJ5. On April 1st, 2022, workers at JFK8 voted to organize with the ALU, making their warehouse the first Amazon facility to unionize. About a month later, workers at the next-door LDJ5 facility voted against unionizing.
Throughout all of this, Amazon has faced accusations of union busting, and other attempts to interfere with the electoral process (some of which have been bizarre — it allegedly manipulated traffic patterns in Alabama). For its part, the company has accused the unions, and the National Labor Relations board, of doing the same. But with at least one warehouse unionized, it seems certain there will be other attempts to organize, and you can keep up with the latest on those efforts in this StoryStream.
Aug 16, 2022, 9:57 PM UTCJay Peters
Amazon warehouse workers in Albany have filed to unionize
The workers are represented by the Amazon Labor Union
May 7, 2022, 12:45 AM UTCMitchell Clark
Amazon is making ‘some management changes’ at JFK8
It reportedly fired several managers tasked with responding to unionization efforts
May 2, 2022, 6:35 PM UTCMitchell Clark
Amazon Labor Union stumbles as workers vote down union at second NYC facility
The results of last week’s election are in
Apr 25, 2022, 6:36 PM UTCMitchell Clark
The Amazon Labor Union beat a behemoth — can it keep winning?
The Amazon Labor Union has a chance to prove it can keep winning
Apr 20, 2022, 6:49 PM UTCMitchell Clark and Zoe Schiffer
Amazon CEO says unions are ‘slower and more bureaucratic’ in leaked employee all-hands
Audio from a Tuesday meeting was obtained by The Verge
Apr 19, 2022, 10:11 AM UTCJames Vincent
Judge orders Amazon to reinstate warehouse worker unlawfully fired over safety protests
Gerald Bryson was fired from the JFK8 facility, which unionized this month
Apr 14, 2022, 8:38 PM UTCMitchell Clark
In his first Amazon shareholder letter, CEO Andy Jassy talks AWS, Prime, and labor
But not unions
Apr 8, 2022, 10:50 PM UTCMitchell Clark
Amazon says union and NLRB “suppressed and influenced” Staten Island election
It alleges the groups acted worse than it did in Bessemer
Apr 8, 2022, 12:56 AM UTCMitchell Clark
Union files objections to Amazon’s actions in Bessemer, AL election
It claims the company threatened to close the facility if it unionized
Apr 7, 2022, 10:53 PM UTCMitchell Clark
Amazon plans to object to union victory in New York
It has extra time to gather evidence for its claim that Amazon Labor Union ‘threatened’ employees to vote yes
Apr 7, 2022, 4:58 PM UTCKim Lyons
US labor board moves to block Amazon’s favorite anti-union tactic
Companies like Amazon often hold mandatory meetings to deliver anti-union messaging
Apr 4, 2022, 10:50 PM UTCEmma Roth
These are the words Amazon’s planned employee chat app reportedly won’t let you say
No “restroom” for you
Apr 4, 2022, 9:21 PM UTCKim Lyons and Mitchell Clark
Amazon union workers won in New York — can they win across the country?
The Amazon Labor Union has big plans and will face big challenges
Apr 1, 2022, 6:19 PM UTCKim Lyons
Amazon workers vote to unionize Staten Island warehouse
It will be the first union ever formed at an Amazon warehouse
Mar 31, 2022, 10:25 PM UTCKim Lyons, Mitchell Clark and 1 more
The Amazon Bessemer union election is going into overtime
The final count found 993 votes against unionization, 875 in favor, and 416 challenged ballots
Mar 18, 2022, 9:13 PM UTCMitchell Clark
Workers at another NYC Amazon warehouse now have a union election date
LDJ5 employees will decide whether to organize with the ALU starting April 25th
Mar 17, 2022, 11:55 PM UTCMitchell Clark
The NLRB is suing Amazon to get a fired activist his job back
It also wants the company to inform employees about their rights
Mar 16, 2022, 7:17 PM UTCMitchell Clark
Amazon workers in New York and Maryland are protesting for better wages
Amazonians United coordinated a walkout early Wednesday morning
Mar 3, 2022, 2:30 AM UTCMitchell Clark
Amazon Labor Union says it has NLRB go-ahead for second NYC election
LDJ5 would be the second Staten Island facility to hold an election
Feb 16, 2022, 7:27 PM UTCKim Lyons
Amazon workers at Staten Island warehouse will vote next month on whether to unionize
The group representing the workers said the vote will be held in person starting March 25th
Feb 3, 2022, 7:56 PM UTCKim Lyons
Amazon workers at a second warehouse in NYC say they have filed a petition to unionize
It’s the second of two warehouses on Staten Island seeking to organize
Jan 28, 2022, 11:55 PM UTCMitchell Clark
NLRB alleges Amazon broke the law with anti-labor action in New York
The NLRB’s complaint accuses the company of ‘threatening, surveilling, and interrogating’ workers
Jan 27, 2022, 2:08 AM UTCMitchell Clark
A union election is moving forward at Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse
The Amazon Labor Union “reached a sufficient showing of interest” after focusing on one facility
Jan 21, 2022, 11:46 PM UTCKim Lyons
Amazon facing formal complaint from labor board over worker firing
An NLRB official said Friday that an allegation Amazon illegally fired a worker for organizing had merit
Jan 11, 2022, 9:45 PM UTCMitchell Clark
Amazon workers will redo Bessemer union election on February 4th
Labor regulators found that Amazon interfered in the first union drive