Workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election. The majority of workers at the company's JFK8 facility in Staten Island voted in favor of unionizing earlier this year, and now the warehouse is trying to join the union. The agency's office in Buffalo is checking to see if the group has enough signatures to hold an election.
To hold a vote, unions usually need signatures from at least 30% of eligible members. The Washington Post reported that the ALU had said that it had passed that threshold. The facility has been working on joining the ALU for a long time. The company held meetings to stop workers from unionizing. An employee at the Albany facility sent us pictures of the TVs that displayed the anti-union messages. The messages discouraged people from signing a "card" from the ALU in order to be able to hold a vote.
The ALU has been demanding for higher pay and safer working conditions for warehouse workers. Two employees were fired by Amazon after it won the election in Staten Island. The other organizers thought it was a response to the move. Wages and safety are the main concerns I hear from workers. There isn't job security. A 15-minute break is not enough time to rest. Workers would like to be able to use the bathroom without restriction.
Amazon has always been against workers' unionization. The company doesn't think unions are the best solution for their employees. We're focused on working with our team to make Amazon a great place to work. ALU's victory in Staten Island was appealed by the company. Sometime this month, a hearing for Amazon's appeal is expected to be announced.
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