San Francisco Frontiers - Workers at 3rd Amazon site in New York hold unionization vote

NYSE - LSE

CMSC	-0.18%	21.75	$
BCE	0.61%	21.34	$
NGG	0.49%	82.775	$
GSK	0.69%	51.095	$
BCC	0.96%	77.2	$
BTI	2.19%	61.18	$
JRI	0.42%	12.955	$
RIO	-0.14%	91.38	$
BP	0.61%	44.2	$
RYCEF	-0.88%	18.09	$
CMSD	-0.23%	21.949	$
AZN	0.43%	168.99	$
RELX	3.37%	34.005	$
VOD	-0.36%	15.195	$
RBGPF	-1.11%	66	$

Workers at 3rd Amazon site in New York hold unionization vote

ECONOMY 12.10.2022

Workers at 3rd Amazon site in New York hold unionization vote / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Amazon workers at an upstate New York warehouse began voting Wednesday on whether to unionize in the latest labor battle following a surprise union win earlier this year at another Amazon site.

Text size:

Amazon Labor Union (ALU), which won a unionization vote in April at the 8,000-employee JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island in New York City, is hoping to follow up that upset with another win at a much smaller Amazon facility near the state capital Albany.

Some 400 full-time hourly workers at the ALB1 site in Castelton-On-Hudson, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Manhattan, will vote between Wednesday and Monday on whether to be represented by ALU.

The National Labor Relations Board, which is overseeing the election, plans to begin counting ballots on Tuesday, October 18.

The NLRB moved ahead with the election after the ALU submitted signatures from more than the 30 percent of employees needed.

Amazon has signaled complete opposition to the effort.

"We remain skeptical that there are a sufficient number of legitimate signatures to support the union's petition for an election, but the NLRB is moving forward," said Amazon spokesman Paul Flaningan.

"We've always said that we want our employees to have their voices heard, and we hope and expect this process allows for that."

Led by its president Christian Smalls, a former worker at the Staten Island site, the ALU gave a jolt to the US organized labor movement this spring after a solid majority voted for representation.

However, just weeks later, the ALU suffered a setback when the LDJ5 warehouse, also in Staten Island, voted against the group.

Amazon has refused to accept the election outcome in the first Staten Island vote, arguing the results should be tossed out in light of alleged improprieties.

Last month, an NLRB official rejected Amazon's claims as groundless after a 24-day hearing on the e-commerce giant's claims.

Flaningan said Amazon "strongly" disagrees with the NLRB official's decision and plans to appeal.

The ongoing fight over the election has prevented contract talks between the ALU and Amazon at JFK8.

D.Parker--SFF

Featured

Stock markets recover as oil retreats

The main international oil contract Brent North Sea fell back under $100 Friday after surging past the key milestone the previous day on escalating Middle East strikes, helping US and European stock markets stabilise.

Autonomous fighter jets target Europe market at Farnborough airshow

As Europe ramps up its rearmament drive, US aerospace giant Boeing is seeking a foothold in the emerging market for autonomous fighter aircraft, showcasing its capabilities at the Farnborough airshow this week.

MEXC Expands Ondo Tokenized Stock Offerings with AI Infrastructure and Mining Assets

MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, announced the expansion of its Ondo tokenized stock offerings as part of its collaboration with Ondo Finance, with the addition of four new tokenized U.S. stocks spanning AI infrastructure and mining companies. The latest additions broaden users' access to some of today's most closely watched investment themes.

Wildberries: Russia's Amazon that became a target for Kyiv

Ukraine has hit the warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries -- Moscow's equivalent of Amazon -- at least three times in a week, killing several employees, causing fires and business losses.