New York Amazon workers vote to unionize, a major first for the retail giant

Workers at a Staten Island Amazon warehouse this week voted to unionize, the first such successful vote in the company’s history and a possible turning point for Amazon’s often-contentious relationship with labor.

Members of the warehouse JFK8 voted 2,654-2,131 to be represented by the Amazon Labor Union, an organization which styles itself as “an independent, worker-led movement for job security, union pay, and better working conditions.”

The group celebrated the win on its Twitter page on Friday. “It’s official!! Amazon Labor Union is the first Amazon union in US HISTORY!!” they wrote. 

The ALU claims that it will demand from Amazon “immediate changes to policies regarding health and safety, pay, promotions, overtime, working conditions, transportation, time, and union-busting.”

The group is asking in part for paid time off for injuries and “a 7.5% inflation adjustment for all Tier 1-3 Associates.”