Workers at Amazon’s Staten Island facility have voted in favor of unionizing, marking the first-ever unionization among Amazon’s U.S. workforce.
Out of the 57% of Amazon’s workers who voted at its JFK8 facility in Staten Island, 2,654 voted to unionize and 2,131 dissented. The union group was creatively named the “Amazon Labor Union.” Plans to unionize are not finalized, however. It may take months for the union to become officially recognized. JFK8’s spokesperson, Chris Smalls, declared: “Today the people have spoken, and the people wanted a union.”
Amazon, however, does not seem pleased. 😅 The company expressed its wish to avoid unionization efforts: “[Amazon is] disappointed with the outcome of the election in Staten Island because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees.” The tech giant hinted at its interest in carrying out an objection to the union, but no details were disclosed.
Union efforts at Amazon’s facility Bessemer, Alabama are also underway — the plant has held two different votes to unionize over the last year. JFK8’s vote to unionize is consistent with the broader trend of unionization efforts among large companies throughout the U.S.
$AMZN gained just 0.35% today.