Published on May 11, 2024

In recent years, the issue of unionization among Amazon workers has garnered significant attention, sparking debates about labor rights, working conditions, and corporate power. Despite efforts by workers to organize and advocate for better treatment, Amazon remains largely non-unionized. In this continuous battle, Amazon employees encounter obstacles in their pursuit of union representation. 

Amazon, one of the world’s largest and most influential corporations, often praised for its efficiency and customer service, has faced mounting criticism over its treatment of workers, including reports of grueling working conditions, inadequate pay, and limited opportunities for advancement. In response, some employees have sought to unionize in order to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. 

However, there are a number of barriers to unionization at Amazon, notably the company’s strong anti-union stance. Amazon has a history of waging anti-union efforts. It is reported that the company has surveilled and retaliated against pro-union employees, held required seminars to dissuade workers from organizing, and distributed anti-union literature.

Despite these setbacks, the effort to unionize at Amazon is ongoing. Employees in many places have started their own organizing campaigns, spurred on by their coworkers’ support and increased awareness of labor issues. For example, workers at a Staten Island, New York, Amazon warehouse (JFK8) petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a union election in 2021 and won the election on April 1, 2022

The unionization effort at JFK8 specifically gained momentum due to the concerns and dissatisfaction of workers with their working conditions, particularly exacerbated during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris Smalls and Derrick Palmer played crucial roles in initiating and leading the unionization drive. They were motivated by their alarm over deteriorating working conditions, safety concerns, and issues related to job security. Chris Smalls, a former Amazon employee, had previously been fired by the company for organizing a walkout at the JFK8 facility in March 2020, highlighting concerns about the lack of protective measures for workers during the pandemic. Chris’s termination drew attention to the working conditions at Amazon warehouses, and it also fueled discussions about labor rights and the need for union representation. Derrick Palmer, another key figure in the unionization effort, joined forces with Smalls to address the shared concerns of workers at JFK8. Together, they worked to rally support among their fellow employees, highlighting the importance of collective bargaining power to negotiate better working conditions, wages, and benefits. An investigative piece published in the New York Times in 2021 discussed the company’s mistreatment of its employees at this warehouse and the factors that led them to seek union representation. Throughout the early COVID pandemic, serious issues surfaced regarding how Amazon handled the healthcare concerns of its employees. These included demands for going back to work, arbitrary terminations, ceased benefits, and an unsatisfactory method of employee communication. Employees might get personal leaves, for example, and then receive a notice of job termination shortly after. Additionally, Amazon misinformed health officials and its employees about several positive COVID cases at their JFK8 warehouse. 

Amazon, a company with a history of resisting unionization, responded to the vote by emphasizing its commitment to providing a positive work environment. Amazon was essentially ignoring these allegations and acting like nothing wrong was happening. The company argued that it already offered its employees competitive wages and comprehensive benefits. Even now, following the successful union vote, Amazon management keeps claiming that they are apprehensive about the health of their employees at JFK8, even though they routinely disregard worker complaints and obstruct union organizing efforts addressing health and safety issues. 

Less than a week following the successful union vote on Staten Island in early April, Amazon filed 25 objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). These objections included claims that the anti-union vote was suppressed by restricting the number of voting booths to three and that Amazon Labor Union (ALU) organizers were threatening and bribing workers with marijuana. Since the union’s successful vote at the beginning of 2023, there have been little to no improvements in negotiations with Amazon. Other problems that have surfaced to impede progress include uneven funding and disagreements amongst main coordinators regarding the best course of action for the expansion of the ALU. Since the founding of the ALU, Amazon has imposed a number of anti-union laws and practices that harm workers, and the company continues to escalate its attempts to retaliate against more union organizing in its warehouses and facilities. Amazon also introduced a controversial union-busting policy in the summer of 2022, which forbids workers from entering the workplace before or after the start or finish of their shifts. The rule is being put into place at Amazon locations around the nation to stop the union from growing past JFK8.

The unionization of workers at JFK8 signals a shift in the way employees perceive their rights and the importance of collective action. This event has inspired conversations about the broader role of unions in protecting workers’ rights and fostering a fair and inclusive work environment. The mentioned efforts coincide with a recent wave of other major companies such as  Starbucks, Apple, Google, Microsoft, REI, and Trader Joe’s all establishing first-ever unions.

Another well-known unionization effort was at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, which attracted a lot of media attention at the beginning of 2021. In what would have been a historic unionization vote, workers at the business requested representation from the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Nevertheless, the initiative ultimately failed since most employees chose not to form a union. The result was ascribed to a number of things, such as the complicated dynamics of organizing in a right-to-work state and Amazon’s strong anti-union campaigns.

Amazon employs over 1 million people in the United States, a sizable workforce that deserves decent wages and working conditions, which they may ensure by joining unions. By banding together, Amazon employees will be able to combat the company’s efforts to restrict their labor rights and take a key step toward fostering collective bargaining to improve their working circumstances. While ALU’s development is far from complete, Amazon employees are determined to fight for their rights.

By Anthony Fernandez-Garcia