Chris Smalls, President of the Amazon Labor Union, had some choice words for South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham during a congressional hearing this week: "The people are the ones that make these corporations go, not the other way around." Smalls made the comments during the Senate Budget Committee hearing, which was called by Vermont Senator Bernie sanders to question the U.S. government's spending on contracts with companies accused of labor violations. Graham lashed out at the man for what he viewed as the demonization of individual companies. Graham said that it was very dangerous to singling out Amazon. That is your political bias. Smalls was going to testify at the hearing and he fired back at Graham. The process for when we hold these companies accountable is not working for us, if the people who make these companies operate are not protected.
Smalls wore a bright red jacket with a message on the front.
Smalls went on to tell Graham his advocacy for Amazon worker's rights was different from traditional party affiliations.
It is not a left or right think, according to Smalls. We are the ones who are suffering in the corporations that you are talking about, in the business that you are talking about, and in the warehouses that you are talking about.
Smalls was joined by Sean O Brien, Good Jobs First, Executive Director Greg LeRoy, and Government Accountability Office Director of Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Thomas Costa, who provided their own testimonies. Amazon has done everything possible to defeat union organizing efforts, according to the groups and some lawmakers.
In the weeks leading up to the Staten Island vote, Amazon workers told The City they attended anti-union meetings. Amazon considered spending $100,000 a month on anti-union consultants to kill the union drive, according to public documents. The company has a long, sometimes aggressive, list of anti-union tactics.
Smalls met with President Joe Biden after the Senate hearing. Smalls met with the President one day after he met with smalls.
The series of high-profile meetings represent a major win for Smalls and the labor movement, particularly among those working for large tech companies. At least three Apple retail stores are in the process of trying to unionize. The efforts of the unions are catching on at Amazon. A second warehouse in Staten Island tried to unionize less than a month after Smalls' victory. It signaled what may be a year full of unionization efforts spread across Amazon's estimated 112 U.S. fulfillment centers. The workers have the support of the president and congress members.
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