On Monday, workers at a second warehouse on Staten Island voted against forming a union, dealing a blow to the growing labor organizing efforts at Amazon.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, employees voted on whether to be represented by a union. The workers at the warehouse were able to vote.
The result was a blow to the upstart Amazon Labor Union, which last month won a landmark victory when workers at the larger, nearby Amazon warehouse voted to unionize. The loss points to the limits of an increase in worker interest in unionizing.
Over the six months ending in March, the number of union elections filed increased by 60 percent. Starbucks and the outdoor equipment chain REI are examples of companies that hire more educated workers. It can be harder to unionize workers who are less secure since they may be more susceptible to pressure from their employer and less willing to risk getting involved in a union campaign.
The union campaign that succeeded at the larger Amazon warehouse last month included a large fraction of full-time workers, but a higher proportion of workers at the smaller facility are part-time and struggle to pay their bills.
This is not a finished story. You can check back for updates.
Coral Murphy Marcos was involved in reporting.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
