Amazon Union Has Green Light to Hold Second NYC Election

(Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. workers at a second facility in New York have won approval to hold a union election.

The upstart Amazon Labor Union has gathered enough signatures from employees at the LDJ5 warehouse in Staten Island to proceed with a vote, according to a National Labor Relations Board spokesperson.

The union previously won approval to hold an election at the nearby JFK8 fulfillment center, where voting will run from March 25 to March 30.

The NLRB said that if Amazon and the ALU fail to agree on which job roles should be included in the proposed bargaining unit at the second Staten Island facility, each party will have a chance to air their concerns at a hearing. After that, an NLRB official will decide when the election can proceed.

“We look forward to having our employees' voices heard,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement. “Our focus remains on working directly with our team to make Amazon a great place to work.” The company on Thursday announced a partnership with the City University of New York that will cover tuition and some fees for qualifying hourly employees. The new benefit could help the company lure front-line workers in a tight labor market and boost its image as a good employer.

ALU leader Christian Smalls and his allies face long odds. Amid fierce opposition from Amazon, the far more established Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union lost an election last year at a fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama. After the union appealed the outcome, the labor board ordered a fresh election, which is now underway. But it's far from assured the RWDSU will prevail this time.

Still, the successful petition for a second election in New York is a coup for Smalls and his group, who lack prior union organizing experience. Smalls worked at Amazon for more than four years before being fired in 2020 for what the company said was a violation of safety guidelines. Smalls said he was protesting Amazon's Covid-19 policies.

Last week, Smalls was arrested at the JFK8 facility and charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. Two workers were also charged with obstructing governmental administration. Smalls said he was delivering food to workers, but Nantel said he had “repeatedly trespassed despite multiple warnings.”