Amazon Workers Reject Union Bid At Upstate New York Warehouse

The startup union that sealed a labor victory at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse earlier this year to unionize wasn’t successful at their second attempt at a warehouse near Albany, New York. 

AP News reported Albany warehouse workers voted to join or not join Amazon Labor Union this past weekend. The votes were finally counted on Tuesday, and out of the warehouse’s 949 eligible workers, 643 cast their votes, of which 31 were challenged. 

The results showed that 206 voted in favor of joining ALU, and 406 voted against it. Four ballots were marked void due to being blank or containing other issues. 

ALU’s president Chris Smalls wrote in a statement that the union’s loss today was disappointing.

“We’re feeling both anger & disappointment that the voting process wasn’t free & fair. It was a sham election where workers were subjected to intimidation & retaliation on a daily basis,” Smalls said. 

Here’s Smalls’ fulls statement:

 Before the count, Smalls tweeted: 

“Proud of the brave workers of ALB1 regardless of today’s results taking on a Trillion dollar company can never be a loss for workers. We will continue to empower all workers to give them the right to unionize. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” 

Proud of the brave workers of ALB1 regardless of todays results taking on a Trillion dollar company can never be a loss for workers. We will continue to empower all workers to give them the right to unionize. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take! W.G. #AlllaborWinter ✊🏽

— Christian Smalls (@Shut_downAmazon) October 18, 2022

Ahead of the voting, Vice News said there were some serious challenges for the ALU campaign, including reports of a “team of union-busting consultants, termed “employee relations” by Amazon, hired to persuade workers not to join the union.” Some workers said these “consultants” would pester them while working about reasons not to join. 

“Many people are feeling harassed,” Heather Goodall, the lead campaigning manager for the ALU, told Vice. 

ALU’s loss comes after success at a Staten Island warehouse in April that voted to unionize. 

We expect President Biden’s administration to comment negatively on the developments, considering they deem themselves one of the most pro-union administrations ever.