Amazon workers have taken another step in the fight for worker protection. The Amazon Labor Union (ALU) is connected to International Brotherhood of Teams (IBT), a more than century-old trade union operating in the United States and Canada. The duo announced that they were partners Joint Statement on X (ex Twitter) following a vote in favor of 98.3 percent of ALU members.
AMAZON ASSOCIATE TEAMS VOTE ON APPLICATION
Members of the Amazon Labor Union voted unanimously to join the 1.3 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters with a vote of about 98.3 percent in favor. Labor membership brings renewed representation and…— Teamsters (@Teamsters) June 18, 2024
“Together, with hard work, courage and conviction, the Teamsters and the ALU will fight fearlessly to secure the good jobs and safe working conditions that Amazon workers deserve in their union contract,” said Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien. statement. ALU-IBT Local 1 will represent approximately 5500 JFK8 Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island but “shall have jurisdiction” over warehouse workers in New York.
Staten Island had a proud moment in April 2022 when ALU garnered enough votes to make JFK8. Amazon’s first consolidated warehouse in the US — One year after the creation of ALU. However, Amazon tried to overturn the vote, alleging “undue and undue influence” from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The conflict has since escalated, with the NLRB accusing Amazon of discriminating against Staten Island and union workers. Amazon claims in a legal filing earlier this year that the NLRB is “unconstitutional.”
As the struggle continues, ALU President Chris Smalls states, “Having the support of 1.3 million Teamsters to take on Amazon gives us the ability to demand a greater workforce and better conditions for our members, and most importantly, to secure a contract at JFK8.”
